Seven Layer Cake Recipe 435

Steps:

• To make the sponge:
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two baking sheets by greasing them and lining with parchment.
• Sift the matzo cake meal, potato starch and salt together, set aside. In a mixer whip the eggs and sugar, for about 8 minutes.
• The eggs should be very light in color and a thick foam. At the very end, add the vanilla and zest.
• Sift the dry ingredients over the egg foam.
• Very gently, but thoroughly, fold the dry ingredients into the egg foam.
• Pour the batter into one of the prepared pans and spread evenly with a spatula.
• Bake the cake for about 18 minutes or until golden and dry when poked with a cake tester. Repeat with the second cake layer.
• To make the buttercream:
• In a small pot, fitted with a candy thermometer, heat 2 cups sugar, water and cream of tartar to 242 degrees F. This will take several minutes, so get your eggs started.
• Whisk together the eggs, yolks and 1/3 cup sugar. Beat the eggs on medium high speed until light in color and thick.
• Once the sugar has reached 242 degrees F, add it very carefully and slowly to the eggs, while the beater is going on slow speed. Be sure to pour the syrup along the edge of the bowl, not directly onto the beater or it will splatter. Continue beating the egg mixture on medium-high speed until the eggs have cooled, about 8 minutes.
• Once the eggs are cooled, add the butter 2 tablespoons at a time. The mixture will go through a stage when it looks soupy and curdled, but keep adding the butter and it will come together. After all the butter is added, mix in the vanilla.
• The buttercream will be smooth and glossy.
• Divide 1/3 of the buttercream into a separate bowl and add the poppy seed paste.
• To the remaining buttercream, add the melted chocolate.
• If you are not going to use the buttercream right away, cover it and leave it at room temperature for up to 24 hours. When you are ready to use it, give it a good stirring or put it back in the mixer and beat with the paddle attachment until smooth.
• To make the soaking syrup:
• In a small saucepan heat the sugar, water and zest over medium heat until the sugar has fully dissolved.
• Cut each sheet of cake into 4 equal pieces (they will be about 4 inches wide and 12 inches long).
• Lay the first layer of cake on the serving platter and brush with the soaking syrup. You want to dab the syrup on, but don't overly saturate the cake or it will be soggy.
• Spread a thin layer of the poppy seed buttercream over the soaked layer.
• Repeat with 5 more layers and then finish with the 7th layer of cake. This will leave you with one extra. Since my cake is not traditional anyway, you should feel free to use up that last layer. If you want to keep it to seven layers, then I suggest you use that lonely extra layer as a snack.
• If your layers need squaring up, just trim them with a sharp serrated bread knife.
• Stir the chocolate buttercream to make sure it is smooth and cover the entire cake in a nice even layer.
• It is okay if it isn't perfectly smooth, because we're going to add some rough stripes to the outside.
• Take a small blob of buttercream on the end of your spatula,
• and starting at the end of the cake, on the bottom, spread that blob in a stripe along the cake. Repeat over and over again, but alternate which side you start on. Repeat this on the top as well.
• You will end up with rough stripes all over the cake, which gives the cake some texture.
• Using a sharp chef's knife, scrape the smooth side of a bar of chocolate with the blade, so that the chocolate curls up. If the chocolate is very cold and brittle, try sitting it in the sun for a few minutes and the curls will come more easily. Cover the top with the chocolate shavings.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Prepare the cake mix as directed; divide between the pans and bake as directed. Let cool on a rack.
• For the refried beans, make the pudding as the label directs; fold in the cocoa powder until combined. Transfer to a large resealable plastic bag and refrigerate until ready to use.
• For the salsa, hull the strawberries and finely chop. Mash with a fork until juicy; set aside.
• For the lettuce, combine the coconut, 2 drops yellow food coloring, 1 drop green food coloring and 2 teaspoons water in a resealable plastic bag; shake and massage to distribute the color.
• For the cheese, melt the yellow and orange candy melts together in the microwave, stirring, until smooth. Let cool slightly, then transfer to a resealable plastic bag and snip a small corner. Make lines back and forth on 2 parchment-lined baking sheets; let set.
• For the olives, thinly slice the cherries; combine with 3 to 4 drops black food coloring in a resealable plastic bag and shake to distribute the color. Transfer to a paper towel?lined plate; blot dry.
• Stack the cakes and trim with a paring knife so that they are about 1 1/2 inches smaller in diameter than your serving bowl. Transfer 1 cake to the bowl.
• Pipe the pudding around the cake and up against the glass bowl; stop when the pudding is about three-quarters of the way up the side of the cake.
• For the sour cream, put the whipped cream in a resealable plastic bag. Pipe on top of the pudding and cake. Place the second cake on top.
• For the guacamole, tint the frosting with yellow and green food coloring, plus a few drops of red. Transfer to another resealable plastic bag; pipe around the second cake layer.
• Strain the strawberries through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing to remove as much liquid as possible. Spoon the strawberry pulp on top of the cake and frosting.
• Sprinkle the coconut on top of the strawberry layer. Break the candy melt strands into small pieces; sprinkle on top of the coconut. Top with the maraschino cherries.

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 8-inch-round cake pans with butter and line with parchment paper.
• Place the sugar and oil in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed until combined. Add the eggs, one by one, until completely incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and buttermilk and continue mixing until combined.
• Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Mix together the coffee and warm water. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the coffee mixture into the bowl of the stand mixer, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until you don't see any lumps and a thin batter has formed.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans and bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle of each cake comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and set on the wire rack to cool completely, about 1 hour.
• For the dark chocolate mousse: Place the dark chocolate in a large bowl and set aside. Pour 1 cup of the heavy cream into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Pour the cream over the chocolate, cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let sit for 3 minutes.
• Remove the towel and slowly whisk the ganache until it's smooth and shiny. Set aside to cool to about room temperature.
• Meanwhile, whip the remaining cup of heavy cream to stiff peaks in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or by hand. Using a rubber spatula, fold one-fourth of the whipped cream into the cooled ganache to lighten the consistency, then fold that mixture into the remaining whipped cream until almost completely combined with just a few streaks. Add the vanilla and salt and gently fold until combined into a light, fluffy mousse.
• For the chocolate fudge buttercream frosting: Place the sugar, hot fudge, cocoa powder, butter, milk, vanilla extract and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed to combine. When the sugar is incorporated, increase the speed to medium and beat until the buttercream is smooth and satiny, 8 to 10 minutes.
• For the chocolate royal icing: Place the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, meringue powder and water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip on low speed to combine. Increase the speed to medium-high and whip until the icing holds stiff peaks, 5 to 8 minutes. If it seems too soft, add more confectioners' sugar in 1 tablespoon increments. If it is too stiff, add a bit more water, drop by drop. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a medium star tip.
• For the white chocolate ganache: Place the white chocolate in a medium bowl and set aside. Pour the cream into a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Pour the cream over the chocolate, cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let sit for 3 minutes.
• Remove the towel and slowly whisk the ganache until it's smooth and shiny. Set aside to cool to about room temperature, then transfer to a piping bag fitted with a medium star tip.
• To assemble, level the tops of the cakes with a serrated knife or cake leveler. Spread half of the mousse over the top of one cake layer. Stack the second layer and repeat. Add the third cake layer and frost the top and sides with a thin coat of the buttercream. Refrigerate until the frosting is firm, 20 to 30 minutes.
• When the cake is ready, frost the top and sides with a thicker layer of the buttercream and refrigerate again until very firm, about 1 hour.
• When the cake is almost ready, lightly dust your work area with cornstarch and roll the fondant into a circle about 20-inches wide and 1/8-inch thick. Drape the rolled fondant over the cake and, using a fondant smoother or your hands, lightly press and smooth it onto the cake, working your way from the top down the sides. Pop any air bubbles with a cake tester or toothpick and continue to smooth the surface.
• Trim any excess fondant from the base of the cake with a pizza cutter. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the bottom half of the cake with the piping gel, then cover it with chocolate sprinkles.
• Pipe a scalloped border around the edge with the chocolate royal icing. Pipe little rosettes of the white chocolate ganache around the cake and press 1 hazelnut truffle onto each. Continue to pipe and decorate with the royal icing, white chocolate ganache and hazelnut truffles to your liking.

Steps:

• 1. To make the buttercream: Stir the sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and boil, without stirring, until the syrup reaches the soft-ball stage, or 250°F on a candy thermometer, about 10 minutes.
• 2. Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks until pale and thick, about 4 minutes. In a slow, steady stream, pour the hot syrup into the eggs, beating continuously as you pour. (Do not let the syrup touch the beaters or it will spin into threads.) Continue beating until the mixture thickens and cools to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
• 3. Beat in the butter and shortening, 2 tablespoons at a time, until absorbed. Gradually beat in the chocolate. Blend in the vanilla, salt, and rum if using. Do not add the flavoring too quickly or the buttercream might curdle. Chill until of spreading consistency, at least 2 hours or up to 1 week. If the buttercream firms too much, return to room temperature before using, about 1 hour.
• 4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the bottoms of several 9-inch round cake pans and dust with flour, tapping out the excess. Or grease and flour several large baking sheets and, using a 9-inch saucepan lid or springform pan, mark 9-inch circles on the sheets.
• 5. To make the batter: Beat the eggs and sugar until thick and creamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the vanilla and salt. Sift the flour over the top and carefully fold it in.
• 6. Spread about 1/4 cup of the batter evenly over the bottom of the prepared pans or over each circle on the baking sheets.
• 7. Bake until the edges begin to color, 5 to 7 minutes. Loosen with a spatula, invert onto a rack, and let cool. Wipe the pans, regrease, dust with flour, and repeat until there are 7 or 8 matching layers.
• 8. To make the caramel if using: Stir all the caramel ingredients in a small saucepan over low heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Stop stirring, increase the heat to medium, and cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the syrup turns a deep amber color. Do not burn.
• 9. Using a lightly oiled metal spatula, spread all of the caramel evenly over one of the cake layers. Let set slightly (do not let it harden), then use an oiled knife to cut just the caramel into 8 to 10 wedges (indicating where the cake will be sliced).
• 10.To assemble: Place a cake layer on a serving plate, spread with 1/8-inch thick layer of buttercream, then place a second layer on top. Repeat layering the buttercream and cake layers. Cover the top of the cake with buttercream. If using the caramel layer, place on top of the cake. Cover the sides of the cake with buttercream. Chill. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 day or in the freezer. Let stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.
• VARIATION
• Oblong Layer Cake: Divide the batter between two 15 1/2-by-10 1/2-inch jelly roll pans and bake. After cooling the cakes, cut each lengthwise into 3 equal pieces to make a 6-layer cake.

Steps:

• Melt chocolate in a small bowl in the microwave by heating at 30 second intervals, and stirring between each one. When chocolate is almost melted, just remove from the microwave and stir until smooth. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time until well blended. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites with a pinch of superfine sugar until stiff. Fold the melted chocolate into the sugar mixture, then fold in the egg whites.
• Pour 1/4 of the bottle of wine into an 8x8 inch baking dish. Soak one of the matzo sheets briefly on both sides, then remove to a serving platter. If you soak too long, it will break apart and become hard to work with. Spread a thin layer of the chocolate cream over the soaked matzo. Continue soaking and layering the matzos and chocolate cream, leaving enough of the chocolate mixture to frost the sides when finished. Add more wine to the dish as necessary for soaking.
• Press chopped nuts onto the sides, or sprinkle them on top for garnish. Refrigerate overnight to allow the chocolate and wine to blend flavors.