Chocolate Tres Leches Cake Recipe 445

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Prepare a 9x13-inch pan with butter and flour.
• Beat cake mix, chocolate milk, canola oil, eggs, and espresso powder together in a large bowl with an electric hand mixer on a low speed until dry ingredients are moistened. Increase speed to medium and continue beating another 2 minutes; pour into prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Remove cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan until it is no longer hot to the touch. While the cake is still warm, poke lots of holes all over the cake with a small skewer or a fork.
• Whisk sweetened condensed milk, half-and-half, evaporated milk, and 3 tablespoons cocoa powder together in a bowl until cocoa is mostly incorporated into the liquid; slowly pour the milk mixture evenly over the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely as the liquid soaks into it.
• Sift confectioners' sugar and cocoa powder together in a bowl.
• Beat heavy whipping cream in a stand mixer on medium speed for about 1 minute. While continuing to mix, add sugar-and-cocoa mixture to the cream in 2 batches, allowing the first to incorporate before adding the second. Increase mixer speed to medium-high; beat until soft peaks form and the cream is thickened and spreadable. Spread chocolate whipped cream on the cake to serve.

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom only of a 9-by-13-inch cake pan (preferably metal), leaving a 1/4-inch border that remains ungreased. Do not butter the sides of the pan.
• Place a large sifter or a sieve in a large bowl. Add the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt and sift. Add the sugar and whisk to combine.
• In another large bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla until combined. Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and whisk until there are no lumps and the batter is smooth. Carefully pour in the boiling water and stir until combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the center of the oven until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake bounces back when lightly pressed, about 25 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the tres leches: In a large bowl, combine the evaporated milk, condensed milk (setting 3 tablespoons aside for the whipped cream), heavy cream and vanilla bean seeds or extract (if using) and whisk to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate if not using immediately.
• Remove the cake from the oven and let stand for 10 minutes. Run a butter knife around the cake's edges. Cool completely.
• While the cake is still in the pan, use a skewer or a fork to poke small holes through the cake to the bottom, about an inch apart. Slowly spoon the tres leches over the top of the cake, giving it time to soak in. Once the liquid is absorbed, repeat until all the tres leches is used. (Toward the end, the tres leches will pool at the edges, but don't worry; it will be absorbed while in the fridge.) Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 5 to 6 hours, preferably overnight.
• When ready to serve, make the whipped cream: Add the reserved condensed milk along with the cream, vanilla and cinnamon (if using) to the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium high until the cream has doubled in volume, forms soft peaks and is light and fluffy. Spread the cake with the cream and sprinkle the chocolate shavings on top. Serve from the pan.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Prepare a cardboard circle using the bottom of cake pan as a guide; set aside.
• Grease two 9-in round cake pans then dust with powdered cocoa, knocking out excess.
• For the cake, in a large bowl combine flour, cocoa and baking powder.
• In a medium size bowl, combine the milk and vanilla.
• Set both aside.
• Place egg whites in a clean bowl and beat at high speed until peaks are formed.
• Turn the mixer down to medium speed and gradually add the sugar to the egg whites.
• Once the sugar is dissolved, add egg yolks and beat for 3 minutes.
• Continue beating egg white mixture on medium-low speed and add flour and milk alternately until well blended.
• Divide batter between the two pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Leave the cakes in the baking pans.
• While the cakes are still warm, punch holes in cake with wooden skewer.
• Combine the sauce ingredients and pour evenly over the two layers.
• Place the cakes in refrigerator and allow to cool.
• In a small, heavy saucepan on medium heat, stir the cream and chocolate together until chocolate is melted and mixture is blended.
• Add vanilla and stir for 1 minute.
• When ready to assemble, remove cake for refrigerator and allow to reach room temperature.
• The cakes will be very moist and will need special handling.
• Run a spatula around the inside of the pan and slightly under layers to loosen.
• Place the prepared cardboard over one pan and invert.
• Pour some frosting over the layer and spread with spatula.
• Using your hand or a spatula to hold second layer in pan, invert onto frosted layer and carefully lift pan away.
• Set the cake on a rack over a jellyroll pan and power the warm frosting over the cake, smoothing with a spatula to completely coat top and sides of cake.
• Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes and scape any excess frosting from the jellyroll pan back into the saucepan.
• Heat excess frosting, stirring until smooth.
• Cool slightly and againpour over the cake, smoothing with a spatula over top and sides.
• Refrigerate until glaze is set.
• Let cake stand at room temperature for at least 15 minutes before serving.
• Garnish with fresh strawberries or dust lightly with powdered sugar.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• For the cake: Sift the flour, black cocoa, baking powder and salt into a medium bowl. Combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium-high speed until very light yellow and fluffy, about 10 minutes (really!). Reduce the speed to low and slowly add half of the flour mixture, then all the buttermilk and finally the remaining flour mixture, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and bake until the cake springs back when touched lightly and a toothpick or cake tester comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Keep the cake in the pan and place on a plate that's larger than the pan.
• Whisk the heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk in a large liquid measuring cup or medium bowl until smooth. Poke a lot of holes all over the cake using a wooden skewer. Slowly pour 1/3 of the milk mixture over the cake, letting most of it get absorbed before pouring more. Repeat this step twice more until the milk mixture is gone. Cover the pan and refrigerate until the milk is completely soaked in (you will see some residual milk on the top and a little on the sides), about 6 hours, up to overnight.
• Invert the cake onto a large rimmed plate that can hold the excess soaking liquid. Pour the excess liquid into a container with a spout and set aside. Carefully invert the cake, domed-side up, onto a cake stand or platter. Drizzle with the reserved soaking liquid. Decorate the platter with Halloween sprinkles, if desired.
• Make the Swiss meringue: Just before serving, bring a few inches of water to a boil in a saucepan that can hold a heatproof stand mixer's bowl above the water, but not touching the water.
• Whisk the sugar, egg whites, vanilla and salt in the stand mixer bowl. Set the bowl above the boiling water and continue to whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and the egg whites are slightly frothy, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed until the meringue is cool and can hold very stiff peaks, about 6 minutes.
• Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a large round piping tip (see Cook's Note). Pipe 2- to-3-inch mounds all around the cake rim and in the middle, leaving a pointy tip at the top of each for the ghost head, about 14 total. Using tweezers or your fingers, add 2 mini chocolate chips, pointed-side out, to each face for the eyes; and 1 chip, pointed-side in, for the mouth.

Steps:

• Prepare cake batter and bake in 13x9-inch pan as directed on package. Cool cake in pan 10 min. Pierce cake with large fork at 1/2-inch intervals.
• Melt 3 oz. chocolate as directed on package. Blend milks and sour cream in blender until smooth. Add melted chocolate; blend well. Pour over cake, re-piercing cake if necessary until all milk mixture is absorbed. Refrigerate 1 hour. Meanwhile, make curls from remaining chocolate. (See Tip.)
• Frost cake with COOL WHIP. Garnish with chocolate curls. Keep refrigerated.