Chocolate Cake Mocha Chocolate Cream Chocolate Liqueur Icing Recipes

Steps:

• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream, mascarpone, sugar, coffee liqueur, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and vanilla. Mix on low speed to combine and then slowly raise the speed, until it forms firm peaks.
• To assemble the cake, arrange chocolate chip cookies flat in an 8-inch springform pan, covering the bottom as much as possible. (I break some cookies to fill in the spaces.) Spread a fifth of the mocha whipped cream evenly over the cookies. Place another layer of cookies on top, lying flat and touching, followed by another fifth of the cream. Continue layering cookies and cream until there are 5 layers of each, ending with a layer of cream. Smooth the top, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
• Run a small sharp knife around the outside of the cake and remove the sides of the pan. Sprinkle the top with the chocolate, cut in wedges, and serve cold.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-by-2-inch baking pan. Line with parchment paper, then grease and flour the pan.
• Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl. On medium speed, add the vanilla, then beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated and the batter is smooth.
• Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. In another bowl or a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the hot water, cocoa powder, and espresso powder until smooth. Add the half-and-half and whisk until smooth. With the mixer on low, add the flour and chocolate mixtures alternately in thirds, starting and ending with the flour. With a rubber spatula, scrape down the bowl to be sure the batter is well mixed.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake for 25 to 35 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely in the pan. Turn out onto a flat platter or board and frost the top with the Mocha Frosting. Cut in squares and serve.
• Place the chocolate, butter, and espresso powder in a bowl. Heat the cream to simmer and pour it over the chocolate mixture, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate is melted. (If the chocolate isn't melted, microwave the mixture for 15 seconds.) Stir in the Kahlua and vanilla and stir until the mixture is smooth. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes only, until cool but not cold.
• Scrape down the bowl and beat the frosting with a handheld mixer on high speed for 15 to 20 seconds only, until the mixture forms soft peaks. (If you overbeat it, it will curdle!) Spread on the cake immediately with a metal spatula.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9 inch round cake pans.
• Measure flour, sugar, cocoa, oil, eggs, buttermilk, baking powder, soda, and salt into a mixing bowl. Dissolve instant coffee in hot water, and add to mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes until smooth; batter will be thin. Pour into prepared pans.
• Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until an inserted wooden pick comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto racks to cool completely.
• Frost cooled cake with Coffee Icing. After frosting, melt some semisweet chocolate baking squares or chips in a double boiler. Drizzle chocolate around top outside edges letting it run down sides, or over top of cake.

Steps:

• Stir warm milk and coffee powder in large bowl until the coffee dissolves completely.
• Whisk confectioners' sugar, melted butter, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract into the milk mixture until no clumps remain and you have a smooth frosting.

Steps:

• For cake:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Lightly butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper. Combine chocolate and 2 tablespoons water in top of double boiler set over simmering water. Stir until chocolate is smooth. Remove from over water. Transfer chocolate to large bowl; cool 5 minutes. Whisk egg yolks into chocolate. Beat whites in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Add sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff and glossy. Fold 1/4 of whites into chocolate to lighten. Gently fold in remaining whites in 2 additions just until combined and being careful not to deflate batter.
• Divide batter between prepared pans (layers will be very thin). Bake until cakes begin to pull away from sides of pans and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 10 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on rack 1 hour. Carefully invert cakes onto 9-inch-diameter cardboard rounds or tart pan bottoms. Cool cakes completely. Peel off parchment paper.
• For filling:
• Line 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 1 1/2-inch-high sides with plastic wrap, leaving 5-inch overhang. Whisk egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar, and Kahlúa in medium metal bowl to blend. Set bowl over saucepan of simmering water (do not allow bottom of bowl to touch water). Using electric mixer, beat until yolk mixture is thick and instant-read thermometer inserted into mixture registers 140°F for 3 minutes, about 9 minutes total. Remove bowl from over water. Continue to beat mixture until cool to touch, about 3 minutes. Beat whipping cream and espresso powder in another medium bowl until firm peaks form. Fold cream mixture into yolk mixture in 2 additions. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and beat until stiff and glossy. Gently fold whites into yolk mixture in 2 additions. Fold in chopped chocolate. Carefully place 1 cake layer in prepared pan (cake layer is very delicate). Spread filling evenly over cake (filling layer will be thick). Top with second cake layer; press gently to adhere. Fold plastic overhang over cake, then cover with foil. Freeze cake overnight. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep frozen.)
• For glaze:
• Bring first 3 ingredients to simmer in small saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate; whisk until smooth. Transfer 1/2 cup glaze to small bowl; chill until cool and very slightly thickened but easily spreadable (if too thick, glaze will not spread smoothly on frozen cake), about 10 minutes.
• Remove foil and plastic wrap from top of cake. Invert cake onto 9-inch-diameter cardboard round or tart pan bottom; place on rack set over rimmed baking sheet. Working quickly, spread thin layer of chilled glaze over top and sides of cake. Freeze until glaze is set, about 1 hour.
• Rewarm remaining glaze over low heat until just warm and pourable. Transfer to 1-cup measuring cup. Pour half of glaze over top of cake. Working quickly and using offset spatula, spread glaze over top, allowing excess to run down sides of cake; spread quickly over sides (glaze will harden quickly on frozen cake). Pour remaining glaze over top of cake; spread quickly and smoothly over top and sides. Sprinkle coffee beans around top edge of cake. Freeze until firm and glaze is set, at least 4 hours. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover; keep frozen.)
• To serve, dip long thin sharp knife into hot water, then wipe dry and cut cake into wedges, pulling knife out at bottom of cake to avoid tearing glaze and repeating for each slice.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pans). Grease and lightly flour bottoms and sides of two 8- or 9-inch round cake pans. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, 2 tablespoons liqueur and the eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds, then on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pans.
• Bake 8-inch pans 34 to 40 minutes, 9-inch pans 31 to 37 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Run knife around sides of pans to loosen cakes; remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Refrigerate layers 45 minutes for easier handling.
• Meanwhile, to make mousse, in 2-quart saucepan, mix 1/4 cup of the whipping cream, the granulated sugar and 1/3 cup liqueur. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved and mixture simmers; remove from heat. Stir in chocolate chips with whisk until chips are melted. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla. Pour into large bowl; cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
• In chilled medium bowl, beat remaining 1/2 cup whipping cream on high speed just until soft peaks form. Fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
• In another chilled medium bowl, beat topping ingredients on high speed until soft peaks form.
• Trim off rounded top of one cake layer. Cut each cake layer horizontally to make 2 layers. (To cut, mark side of cake with toothpicks and cut with long, thin knife.) Place 1 layer, cut side up, on serving plate; spread with one-third of the mousse. Repeat with second and third layers. Top with fourth layer, cut side down. Spread topping over side and top of cake. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Store covered in refrigerator.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, 5-7 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with coffee and sour cream, beating well after each addition. , Pour into three greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 30-35 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Beat in the chocolate, coffee and vanilla until blended. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Spread between layers and over top and sides of cake. Cover and refrigerate until serving.