Chocolate Truffle Cake Filling Recipes

Steps:

• 1. FOR CAKE: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 3 9-inch layer cake pans (I use Wilton, they are the best). Cut out circles of wax paper and line bottom of pans. If you have Wilton Bake-Even Cake Strips, use them. If not, you will have to level cakes after they are cooled.
• 2. Combine boiling water and cocoa. Stir until smooth. Set aside in the fridge to cool.
• 3. Cream butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla at high speed of an electric mixer until light and fluffy (about 5 min is perfect).
• 4. In a separate bowl combine flour, soda, baking powder, and salt.
• 5. Alternately add flour.
• 6. Then cocoa mixture beginning and ending with flour.
• 7. Do not overbeat or cake will be tough!
• 8. Pour batter into prepared pans.
• 9. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 or until top springs back. Do not overbake!
• 10. Cool in pans 10 minutes.
• 11. Then flip out onto a large plate and put in the freezer. Don't worry, I know what I am doing. This keeps the cakes from falling apart and won't leave crumbs in your icing.
• 12. GANACHE FILLING: Place the chocolate into a medium bowl.
• 13. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil. Watch very carefully because if it boils for a few seconds, it will boil out of the pot.
• 14. When the cream has come to a boil, pour over the chocolate chips.
• 15. Whisk until smooth.
• 16. Stir in the Grand Marnier and the orange zest.
• 17. Transfer hot chocolate to a relatively deep stainless steel bowl and immerse it into a bowl of ice water. Then whip with a hand mixer until it is thick and fluffy.
• 18. Once it is desired consistency, take out of ice bath or it will continue to harden; set aside.
• 19. SATINY CHOCOLATE FROSTING: Combine chips, milk, and butter in a LARGE saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until melted and smooth.
• 20. Remove from heat; blend in powdered sugar.
• 21. Set the pan (or transfer to a mixing bowl) into an ice bath; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer.
• 22. Stop occassionally to scrape down the sides. Mix until frosting is fluffy and holds its shape.
• 23. It should make a peak with a spoon and hold it. Remove from ice bath or it will continue to harden!
• 24. CAKE ASSEMBLY: Remove frozen layers from the freezer and put on a platter lined with wax paper strips to catch the mess. Place the first cake and spoon about half of the ganache.
• 25. Place the next cake on top of the ganache layer.
• 26. Spoon the rest of the ganache on top.
• 27. Place the last cake on top. Frost the top with the satiny chocolate frosting first. Then start on the sides. Smooth top as much as possible with a flat knife dipped in hot water.
• 28. Take your chocolate jimmies (chocolate sprinkles). Gently take your hand and press them into the sides only. Continue until you have gone all he way around. Gently remove the wax paper strips and discard. Put remaining filling into a piping bag and pipe 12 medium size swirls on top of the cake. I used a #21 tip. Space them out before you start piping to make sure you get 12 and they are even. Top each swirl with a Lindt chocolate truffle and a white chocolate truffle, alternating. If the bottom of your cake is messy where you pulled out the paper, you may use the same tip to pipe a border around the base of the cake.
• 29. Chill in the refrigerator immediately. Before serving, let the cake set out at room temperature 30 minutes so the chocolate will soften back up slightly. Enjoy!
• 30. ALTERNATE GARNISH: Pipe a border around top and bottom lip of cake. Take Pirouette creme filled wafers and line them up around the sides of cake. (They do not have to be all the same height). Add M&M's to the middle of the cake . ***Finished Cake #2 in my photo #2 made in (3) 9-inch pans. Serves at least 14, huge cake.

Steps:

• Put the chocolate in a large bowl.
• In a small saucepan, heat the cream just until it starts to bubble.
• Pour the cream over the chocolate; make sure all the chocolate is covered by the cream (push some pieces down if you need to).
• Cover the bowl and let it sit there, undisturbed, for 10 minutes, until the chocolate has melted.
• Whisk the mixture until the chocolate is dark and shiny, then cool to room temperature, or stick it in the fridge until ready to use.
• If you refrigerate the filling before you put it on the cake, it will get very hard, and you'll need to pop it in the microwave for a few seconds to loosen it up.
• You can, of course, pour it over the top of cake while it's still warm for a beautiful, smooth, shiny ganache topping.

Steps:

• For the truffles: Combine the chocolate, cream and butter in a small heatproof bowl set over simmering water and let melt. When almost melted, remove from heat and stir the mixture until smooth. Stir in your flavoring of choice and refrigerate until thick enough to mound on a spoon, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
• Line a baking tray with waxed or parchment paper. Scrape the chocolate mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a #3 plain tip. Pipe 8 (1-inch) mounds onto the prepared tray. Place 1 raspberry in the center of each chocolate mound and pipe a little more of the chocolate mixture to enclose completely. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
• For the cake: Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter or coat with vegetable spray, 8 oversize muffin cups (4-inches wide and 2-inches deep) or 1 1/4-cup custard cups. Line bottoms with rounds of waxed paper.
• In the top of a double boiler or a small heatproof bowl set over simmering water, melt together the chocolate and butter, cool slightly.
• Meanwhile in the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle or beaters, beat the eggs, egg yolks and sugar on high speed until tripled in volume, about 5 minutes. Scrape in the chocolate mixture and, on low speed, beat until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the flour, using a rubber spatula. Spoon a little of the batter into each of the prepared cups, top with 1 truffle, and cover with the remaining batter. Arrange the cups on a baking tray and bake until the edges of the cakes begin to pull away from the sides of the cups, 12 to 13 minutes.
• Let stand 10 minutes. Invert onto individual dessert plates and carefully peel off the paper. Serve warm. Spoon softly whipped cream or ice cream next to each cake and, if desired, garnish with a few fresh raspberries. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook milk, butter and chocolate over low heat until melted. Remove from the heat; let stand for 10 minutes., Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, beat eggs and vanilla; stir in chocolate mixture until smooth. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt; gradually add to chocolate mixture and mix well (batter will be thin). , Transfer to three greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For filling, in a small saucepan, melt butter and chocolate. Stir in confectioners' sugar and heavy whipping cream until smooth., For ganache, place chocolate in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Cool, stirring occasionally, until ganache reaches a spreading consistency., Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with half of the filling. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread ganache over top and sides of cake. Store in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F and butter a 9-inch springform pan.
• Make base:
• In a small saucepan melt butter and stir in cocoa powder. Remove pan from heat and add brown sugar, stirring until dissolved. Stir in flour, walnuts, egg, and vanilla and spread batter evenly in springform pan. Bake base in middle of oven 10 minutes, or just until firm, and transfer to a rack to cool.
• Make filling:
• Arrange walnuts in one layer on top of base. In a small heavy saucepan combine butter, brown sugar, and honey and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes, or until a candy thermometer registers 280°F. Remove pan from heat and add cream, vanilla, and lemon juice, stirring until smooth. Cool mixture to room temperature and pour over walnuts, spreading evenly.
• Make ganache:
• In a saucepan bring cream just to a boil. Finely chop chocolate. Put chocolate in a metal bowl and pour hot cream over it, stirring until smooth. Cool ganache to room temperature and beat with an electric mixer until it just holds soft peaks (do not overbeat or it will become grainy).
• Spread ganache evenly over filling. Chill cake, covered, at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.
• Run a thin knife around edge of cake and remove side of pan. With a large spatula transfer cake to a plate and let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Microwave chocolate and butter at High for 1 minute or until melted, stirring once. (My microwave died so I did it on the stove in a double boiler, it works just as good).
• Stir in whipping cream.
• Gradually add powdered sugar, stirring until blended and smooth.
• Cool. (Dont refrigerate too long because this will get too stiff -- trust me.just use your judgment.I left it in overnight -- uh oh!.).

Steps:

• For chocolate stars:
• Line baking sheet with foil. Stir chocolate and shortening in top of double boiler set over simmering water until melted and smooth. Pour onto prepared baking sheet, tilting pan to spread chocolate mixture to irregular 14x9-inch rectangle. Refrigerate until just firm, about 12 minutes. Spray assorted star-shaped cookie cutters with nonstick spray. Cut out stars. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes. Using small offset spatula, carefully transfer stars 1 at a time to another foil-lined baking sheet. Refrigerate until ready to use. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms with parchment paper; butter parchment. Stir unsweetened chocolate in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Cool slightly. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in lukewarm melted unsweetened chocolate and vanilla. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, blending well after each addition. Mix in cocoa powder mixture in 3 additions, alternating with milk in 2 additions.
• Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on racks 10 minutes. Run knife around edge of each pan to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out onto racks and cool completely. Peel off parchment.
• For filling and frosting:
• Bring 1 cup cream and butter to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until butter melts. Remove from heat. Add white chocolate and stir until smooth. Whisk in vanilla. Pour 1 1/2 cups white chocolate filling into small bowl; cover and freeze until cold, about 2 hours.
• Let remaining white chocolate mixture in saucepan stand at room temperature until lukewarm, about 20 minutes.
• Using electric mixer, beat remaining 2 cups cream and almond extract in large bowl until peaks form. Working in 3 batches, fold in lukewarm white chocolate mixture. Refrigerate whipped cream frosting just until medium peaks hold, folding occasionally, about 3 hours.
• Brush 2 tablespoons amaretto over top of each cake layer. Place 1 layer on platter. Spread chilled 1 1/2 cups white chocolate filling over. Top with second cake layer. Spread whipped cream frosting over top and sides of cake. Chill until cold and set, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
• Arrange chocolate stars decoratively atop cake and serve.