Chocolate Date Cake With Coconut Cognac Sauce Recipes

COCONUT CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter a 9 inch springform pan.
• In a small bowl, stir together the cake flour, sugar and baking powder.
• In a bowl, whisk together the oil, whole eggs and ¼ cup of water and stir in the flour mixture into the oil mixture until the batter is smooth.
• Beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until they hold stiff peaks.
• Stir ¼ of the whites into the batter to lighten and then fold in the remaining whites.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in the middle of the preheated oven for 20-30 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.
• Remove cake and let cool.
• For pastry cream: Scald the milk with the vanilla bean.
• Scrape the seeds into the milk and discard bean (or rinse it, let it dry and ‘plant’ it into a sealed jar of sugar. In time you’ll have sugar with a vanilla fragrance.) In a bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup of sugar, flour and egg yolks.
• Whisk the hot milk into the yolk mixture, a little at a time, and whisk for 1 minute.
• Pour into the pan and bring custard to the boil, whisking constantly, for 1-2 minutes, o until it is thickened.
• Let cool, uncovered, and chill it, placing a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the hot custard to prevent a skin from forming.
• Beat the cream with the remaining 2 tblsps sugar until it holds stiff peaks.
• Fold 1 cup of the whipped cream into the pastry cream, reserving remainder, and fold in 1 cup of coconut into the pastry cream as well.
• Make chocolate sauce: Simmer the milk with the chocolate, stirring, until the chocolate is melted.
• Add the cream, butter and sugar and simmer, stirring, until smooth and slightly thickened.
• Keep sauce warm, covered.
• Cut cake horizontally into 3 layers with a serrated knife.
• Spread ½ of pastry cream on top of bottom layer and top with second layer.
• Spread remaining pastry cream on top of second layer and top with third layer, cut side down.
• Spread whipped cream on top and side of cake and sprinkle with coconut.
• Serve with sauce.

CHOCOLATE COGNAC CAKE

Steps:

• Place the cookies in a plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
• Transfer them to a mixing bowl.
• Place the 2-3/4 oz. of chocolate and 1/2 cup of butter in a microwave bowl.
• Place in microwave and melt them in 15 second increments.
• Stirring a few times.
• Give the chocolate and butter a final stirring to mix well, then pour over the cookie crumbs and mix together.
• Put this mixture into a 9-inch springform pan and press down to form a base.
• Place in the refrigerator while preparing the filling.
• Place the chocolate in a large microwave safe mixing bowl and melt in 15 second increments.
• Beat in the mascarpone, egg yolks and brandy.
• Whip the cream until it just holds its shape and fold it into the chocolate mixture.
• Using a grease-free bowl and clean beaters, whip the egg whites to soft peaks.
• Add the sugar, a little at a time, and beat until the whites are thick and glossy.
• Fold the whites into the chocolate mixture in two batches, until just mixed.
• Spoon the mixture onto the chilled base and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
• To serve:.
• Carefully remove the cake from the pan and transfer to a serving plate.
• Pipe 12 rosettes of the whipped cream and top each with a chocolate coffee bean.
• Cut into 12 wedges and serve.