Chocolate Heart Of Darkness Cakes Recipes

CHOCOLATE HEART THROBS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 by 17-inch sheet pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment or waxed paper.
• Sift together the 3 cups of sugar, the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Transfer to a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or use a hand mixer) and blend briefly.
• Whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Add to the dry ingredients and mix at low speed for 5 minutes. Gradually add the hot water, mixing at low speed just until combined. The batter will be quite thin.
• Pour the batter into the pan. Bake until a tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay) and the center feels firm to the touch, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan. Chill, covered, until ready to cut the cake.
• With the heart cutter, cut out hearts and place them on a sheet pan.
• To make the marshmallows: Combine the 1/4 cup water, the corn syrup, and the sugar in a saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Bring to a boil and boil to "soft-ball" stage, or about 235 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form.
• Sprinkle the gelatin over the 2 tablespoons water and let dissolve. When the syrup reaches 235 degrees F, remove it from the heat, add the gelatin, and mix.
• Pour the syrup into the whipped egg whites. Add the vanilla and add a few drops of red food coloring to turn it pink and continue whipping until stiff.
• With a large plain tip in a pastry bag, pipe marshmallow on half the cake hearts to cover the surface entirely. Top with remaining cake hearts to form sandwiches. On top of the cakes, pipe 2 teardrops in a V meeting at the bottom to form a heart. Sprinkle the marshmallow lightly with red sugar.

CHOCOLATE HEART OF DARKNESS CAKES

Steps:

• Make the dark chocolate truffle hearts. Place 8 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate in a small bowl. Heat 3/4 cup heavy cream in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Bring to a boil. Pour the boiling cream over the chopped chocolate. Set aside for 5 minutes before stirring with a whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture (called ganache) onto a nonstick baking sheet and use a rubber spatula to spread the ganache in a smooth, even layer to within about an inch of the inside edges of the pan. Place the ganache in the freezer for 15 minutes, or in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, until firm to the touch. Line a 10 to 12-inch dinner plate with parchment paper or waxed paper. Remove the firm ganache from the freezer or the refrigerator. Portion 12 heaping tablespoons (a bit more than an ounce each) of ganache onto the paper. Wearing a pair of disposable vinyl (or latex) gloves, individually roll each portion of ganache in your palms in a circular motion, using just enough gentle pressure to form a smooth orb. This is a traditional truffle. You should refrain from indulging in them since absence of a truffle in a cake will make the heart grow darker. Return each formed truffle onto the paper lined plate, and place in the freezer while preparing the cake batter.
• Make the chocolate cocoa cakes. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Lightly coat the inside of each individual nonstick muffin cup with the 2 teaspoons melted butter. Set aside until needed. In a sifter, combine 2/3 cup all-purpose flour and a 1/2 cup cocoa powder. Sift onto a large piece of parchment paper (or waxed paper) and set aside until needed. Melt 8 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate and 5 ounces butter in the top half of a double boiler over medium-low heat. Use a rubber spatula to stir the chocolate and butter until completely melted and smooth, about 6 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside at room temperature until needed. The chocolate and butter may also be melted in a medium glass bowl in a microwave oven set at medium power for 2 minutes. After removing the chocolate and butter from the microwave oven, use a rubber spatula to stir until smooth.
• Place 3 eggs, 2 egg yolks, and 1/2 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle. Beat on a medium-high speed for 2 minutes until the mixture is slightly frothy. Add the melted chocolate and butter and mix on low speed to combine, about 15 seconds. Continue to operate the mixer on low while gradually adding the sifted dry ingredients. Once all the dry ingredients have been incorporated, stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and mix on medium to combine, about 15 seconds.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatula to finish mixing the batter until thoroughly combined. Portion 3 heaping tablespoons (about 2 1/2 ounces) of the cake batter into each individual muffin cup. Place the muffin tin on the center rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 5 minutes. Remove the truffles from the freezer.
• Remove the muffin tin from the oven, and moving quickly, place a single frozen truffle in the center of each portion of cake batter, pressing each truffle about halfway down into the batter. Immediately return the muffin tin to the center rack of the oven and bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake (not the truffle) comes out clean, about 17 to 18 minutes. Remove the cakes from the oven and cool at room temperature for 20 minutes. To remove the cakes from the muffin cups, hold the top edges of the baked batter part of a cake, and give each cake a slight twist to loosen it from the inside cup. Then insert the pointed tip of a knife into a top outside edge of a cake and loosen it so that you can gently pull each baked cake out of each cup. Serve immediately while still warm.
• After the Chocolate Heart of Darkness cakes have cooled to room temperature, you may keep them covered with plastic wrap for up to 24 hours at room temperature, or in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. The cakes may be rewarmed in a microwave oven, and they are extraordinary. Make sure the cakes are at room temperature, then heat them 1 or 2 at a time for 30 to 40 seconds in a microwave oven set on defrost power. Instead of drying out, the cake will be warm and moist, and the truffle center will be a hot ooze of ecstasy. For extra indulgence, serve the warm Chocolate Heart of Darkness cakes with white chocolate ice cream or unsweetened whipped cream. For me, a glass (forget the golden goblet) of Warre's 1985 Porto will have a salubrious effect.

BROKEN HEART CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch heart-shaped cake pan with cooking spray and dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
• Prepare the cake batter according to the package directions and pour into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove to a rack to cool for 10 minutes. Invert the cake pan onto a plate to remove the cake from the pan, then invert back onto the rack to let cool completely.
• For the sugar glass: Line a baking sheet with parchment. Stir together the sugar, corn syrup and cream of tartar in a small microwave-safe bowl. Heat in the microwave in 2-minute intervals, stirring in between each, until the sugar starts to dissolve and the mixture turns a very light golden, about 4 minutes. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and smooth with an offset spatula into a thin rectangle about 9 inches by 7 inches. Refrigerate until hardened completely, about 15 minutes. Use a meat mallet to break the sugar so that it resembles broken glass.
• For the frosting: Melt the chocolates and heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
• For the whipped cream: Whip the heavy cream and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form.
• Assemble the cake: Once the cake has cooled, use a serrated knife to shave off the top to make it flat (it domes as it bakes). Cut the cake in half horizontally to make 2 even layers, then, keeping the layers stacked, use a paring knife to cut jagged edges in a zigzag formation down the middle of the cake so that you have 2 halves of a broken heart.
• Place the 2 bottom halves on a cake stand or plate so they are separated a little. Spread the whipped cream evenly over the bottom halves. Top with the 2 top halves and drizzle the melted frosting over the top so that it covers the top and drips down the sides of the cake. Decorate with the broken sugar glass and refrigerate until the chocolate has hardened, about 15 minutes. Slice and serve.

CHOCOLATE HEART-SHAPED CAKES WITH BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Spray the hollows of a 5-cup heart-shaped nonstick cake pan or an 8-cup silicone mold with cooking spray (see cook's note for product links). If not using silicone mold, line bottoms with parchment.
• In a medium heatproof bowl, dissolve espresso in hot water. Add chocolate and rum and place over (but not in) a pot of simmering water. Stir until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; let cool slightly.
• In a heatproof bowl, combine eggs and granulated sugar. Place over (but not in) pot of simmering water and whisk until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch. Transfer to a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium-high speed until mixture is thick, fluffy, and almost doubled in volume, about 3 minutes (or, if not using a stand mixer, you can beat with a hand mixer directly over the heat).
• Whisk cream with confectioners' sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Fold chocolate mixture into egg mixture, then gently but thoroughly fold in whipped cream.
• Divide mixture among hollows of prepared pan (about 1/2 cup per hollow for 5-cup; about 1/3 cup for 8-cup). Place filled pan in a large roasting pan on middle rack of oven. Add boiling water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan. Bake until a tester inserted in centers comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool completely in water bath. Remove from water, cover, and refrigerate at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. Just before serving, dip bottom of pan in warm water to loosen, about 1 minute. Run a small offset spatula around edges of cakes, then lift each out of pan; or cover with a platter and invert to remove. Remove parchment (if using). Use a pastry bag fitted with desired tip (Martha used a variety of star and leaf tips) to pipe buttercream or whipped cream onto cakes. Serve immediately.

RICH CHOCOLATE HEART CAKES

Steps:

• Separate rosemary into small bunches. Beat egg white with a drop or two of water until it is very loose. Place superfine sugar in a small, shallow bowl. Lightly brush one sprig of rosemary with the egg white. Sprinkle superfine sugar over the damp bunch of rosemary; shake to remove excess. Transfer rosemary to a cooling rack to dry, at least 1 hour. Repeat until all rosemary is used; set aside sugared rosemary. (It will keep at room temperature for about 24 hours.)
• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees with two racks centered. In the top of double boiler, or in a heat-proof bowl set over simmering water, melt butter and chocolate together, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Set mixture aside to cool.
• In a medium bowl, lightly beat egg yolks, and stir them into the cooled chocolate mixture. Add granulated sugar, flour, and baking powder to the chocolate mixture, and stir to combine.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites just until soft peaks form. Stir one-third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold the chocolate mixture into the remaining egg whites, just until combined. Spoon the batter into twelve 3 3/4-inch heart molds with removable bottoms. Transfer molds to a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until centers spring back when touched, about 45 minutes. Transfer molds to a wire rack, and let sit 5 minutes. Unmold cakes. (After they have cooled, if not using right away, cover cakes lightly with plastic wrap.)
• To serve, place a cake on serving plate. Pour warm ganache over it; sprinkle with praline, if using. Top with a second and then a third cake layer, drizzling each with ganache. Repeat to make 3 more servings. Sprinkle cakes with praline if desired, and garnish with sugared rosemary. Serve.

CHOCOLATE HEART CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease or spray bottoms only of foil pans. Make cake batter as directed on box. Pour into pans.
• Bake 26 to 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Spread frosting over cakes. Decorate with candies. Store loosely covered.

LORA BRODY'S BETE NOIRE (A SPECIAL CHOCOLATE CAKE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter a nine-inch cake pan and place a neat circle of parchment or wax paper on the bottom, covering it completely. If wax paper is used, butter it. If parchment is used, it is not necessary to butter it.
• Chop both the chocolates into fine pieces and set aside.
• Combine the water with one cup of the sugar in a heavy two-quart saucepan. A large copper saucepan is ideal for this. Bring to the boil over high heat and cook about four minutes or to a temperature of 220 degrees.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately add the chocolate pieces, stirring until they are melted and smooth. The mixture may ''sieze'' but that is all right; it will blend when the butter is added. Immediately start adding the butter, stirring gently until all of it is used.
• Place the eggs and remaining sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer. Start beating on high speed and continue until they are quite thick and pale yellow, and tripled in volume. This may take about 15 minutes. It may be useful to place a dishcloth over the mixer and bowl to prevent splattering.
• Start mixing the egg and sugar mixture on slow speed. Add the chocolate mixture, stirring only until it is fully incorporated. Do not overbeat. This would cause air bubbles to form.
• Spoon and scrape the mixture into the prepared cake pan. Set the pan in a slightly larger pan and pour boiling water around it. Do not allow the sides of the pans to touch.
• Place in the oven and bake 25 minutes. Insert the sharp point of a knife into the center of the cake; if it comes out clean, the cake is done. If it does not come out clean, continue cooking for up to 10 minutes. Do not cook longer than a total of 35 minutes.
• Let cool (see note) in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of the cake and unmold onto a cookie sheet. Invert a serving plate over the cake and turn it right side up onto the serving plate.