Chocolate Almond Orange Cake Recipes

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two 8-9 inch round pans by lining the bottoms with wax paper circles, and buttering and dusting with flour. Place the cake mix, eggs, water, extracts & butter in a bowl. Add finely minced beet, if desired for color (it will turn the batter more orange colored, and leave red flecks like confetti in the cake.) Combine with mixer, and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour into prepared pans, & bake according to package directions, 29-34 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes, then invert onto cooling racks & remove from pans. Peel off wax paper & allow to finish cooling.
• 2. For frosting, combine powdered sugar, butter, vanilla, almond extract, and 1/2 cup water. Beat well. Remove a portion, which you will use to frost in between the 2 cake layers, and a small amount to create a swirl of white into the chocolate frosting on the top of the cake. Add orange extract to this portion, and a little powdered sugar if needed to get the consistency right. With the remaining frosting, add the cocoa powder, and any additional water needed.
• 3. When assembling the cake, frost the middle layer with the white frosting. Make a ring of chocolate chips along the outer edge. Poke the broken Poky sticks into the cake at intervals around the outer edge, and one in the middle, and then place the second layer of cake on top. Press down gently, securing your layers together. If you made orange taffy (by boiling the ingredients down into taffy consistency), you may place some on the top layer, either in a ring around the edge, or over the whole top. Frost the top and sides with chocolate frosting. I like to leave a gap on the sides in the middle so you can peak in on the middle white frosting layer. Use remaining white frosting to swirl into frosting on top of the cake. Make a swirl pattern using the chopped chocolate chips, on the top of the cake. Pipe star burst patterns with the chocolate frosting. Make a big star burst flower in the middle (5 starburst petals), and small starbursts staggered around the edge. I do some around the sides in the middle where the gap is, as well. Add colored dot sprinkles to sides and the flower on top, and then toasted almonds to the top of the side of the cake, with a few placed in the center star on the top of the cake.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush bottom of 10-inch-diameter springform pan generously with margarine. Blend almonds and 1/4 cup sugar in processor until almonds are finely ground. Add chocolate; blend until chocolate is finely ground, scraping sides and bottom of bowl occasionally.
• Whisk cocoa, orange juice, and orange peel in small bowl until smooth. Combine egg yolks and 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar in large bowl. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean. Using electric mixer, beat until yolk mixture is very thick, about 4 minutes. Beat in cocoa mixture. Fold in ground-almond mixture. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and salt in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 2 tablespoons sugar, beating until whites are stiff but not dry. Fold whites into chocolate batter in 3 additions. Transfer to prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan on rack. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with foil; store at room temperature.)
• Cut around cake in pan; release sides. Cut cake into wedges. Transfer to plates. Place scoop of sorbet alongside.

Steps:

• In a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water combine chocolate and cream, stirring frequently until melted and smooth. Remove double boiler or bowl from heat and cool mixture. Chill filling 1 hour. Filling may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered.
• Preheat oven to 325° F. Line a buttered 8-inch round cake pan with wax paper and butter paper. Dust pan with flour, knocking out excess flour.
• On a baking sheet bake bread in oven until dry, about 5 minutes, and cool bread. In a food processor grind bread fine.
• In a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate and 1/2 stick butter, stirring occasionally until smooth, and remove double boiler or bowl from heat. In a bowl whisk together bread crumbs, ground almonds, and cocoa powder.
• In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together remaining 1/2 stick butter and 1/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in chocolate mixture, zest, and bread crumb mixture until batter is smooth.
• In another large bowl with cleaned beaters beat whites on low speed until frothy. Increase speed to medium and beat until they just hold soft peaks. Gradually add remaining 1/3 cup sugar and beat on high speed until stiff and glossy. Stir one fourth meringue into batter to lighten and fold in remaining meringue gently but thoroughly. Pour batter into pan, smoothing top, and bake in middle of oven 45 to 50 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and invert cake onto rack to cool completely.
• In cleaned bowl with cleaned beaters beat filling until light and creamy, about 2 minutes.
• In a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water combine glaze ingredients, stirring until smooth.
• Cut cake in half horizontally. On a cake plate spread filling between layers. Spread glaze over cake. Chill cake at least 1 hour and up to 4 before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush bottom of 10-inch springform pan generously with butter or margarine.
• Blend almonds and 1/4 cup sugar in food processor until almonds are finely ground. Add chocolate; blend until chocolate is finely ground.
• Whisk cocoa, orange juice and orange peel in small bowl until smooth.
• In another bowl, combine egg yolks and 1/2 cup + 2 Tbs. sugar. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean.
• Using an electric mixer, beat until yolk mixture is very thick, about 4 minutes.
• Beat in cocoa mixture. Fold in ground-almond mixture.
• Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and salt in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 2 Tbs. sugar, beating until whites are stiff but not dry.
• Fold whites into chocolate batter in 3 additions. Transfer to prepared pan.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
• Cool cake completely in pan on rack. If making a day ahead of time, cover with foil and store at room temperature.