Spiced Chocolate Layer Cake Recipes

CHOCOLATE SPICE LAYER CAKE WITH CARAMEL ICING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottoms of two well-greased 9-in. round baking pans with parchment paper; grease paper. In a microwave, melt chocolate; stir until smooth. Cool slightly., In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in chocolate. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, spicy chocolate cinnamon sugar, salt, allspice and cloves; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition., Transfer batter to prepared pans. Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely., In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, cream and butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook and stir 3 minutes. Remove from heat; gradually beat in confectioners' sugar and vanilla., Place one cake layer on a serving plate; pour half of the warm icing over the cake. Top with remaining cake layer. Pour remaining icing over top of cake. If desired, top with caramel popcorn.

CHOCOLATE SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until well blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in applesauce and 1/2 cup coffee. Combine the flour, 1/4 cup baking cocoa, cinnamon, baking soda, allspice, salt and cloves; gradually beat into creamed mixture until blended. Fold in raisins and walnuts., Pour into a 10-in. fluted tube pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely., In a small bowl, combine the confectioners' sugar and remaining baking cocoa and coffee; drizzle over cake.

CHOCOLATE SPICE CAKE WITH CARAMEL ICING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottoms of 2 well-greased 9-in. round baking pans with parchment; grease paper. In a microwave, melt chocolate; stir until smooth. Cool slightly., In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in chocolate. In another bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, allspice and cloves; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition., Transfer batter to prepared pans. Bake 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes before removing to wire racks; remove paper. Cool completely., In a small saucepan, combine brown sugar, cream and butter. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Cook and stir 3 minutes. Remove from heat; gradually beat in confectioners' sugar and vanilla., Place one cake layer on a serving plate; pour half of the warm icing over the cake. Top with remaining cake layer. Pour remaining icing over top of cake. If desired, top with caramel popcorn.

SPICED CHOCOLATE APPLESAUCE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F Line 2 nine-inch round cake pans with parchment paper, and grease the sides of the pans.
• Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; set aside.
• Beat together the oil and sugar in a mixing bowl.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Blend in the vanilla and the applesauce.
• Add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk to creamed mixture, beating well after each addition.
• Divide the batter evenly between the two pans.
• Bake in the preheated 350°F oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until cake tests done.
• Cool 10 minutes in pan on rack.
• Remove from the pans; cool on rack. Ice with frosting as desired.

SPICED CHOCOLATE TORTE WRAPPED IN CHOCOLATE RIBBONS

Steps:

• Make the cake:
• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 11/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of each cake pan with waxed paper; butter and flour waxed paper.
• Using electric mixer, cream butter in large bowl. Gradually beat in sugar until smooth. Beat in egg yolks 1 at a time. Blend in melted chocolate. Slowly mix in pecans, vanilla, and spices. Gently fold in flour in 4 batches (batter will be very thick and dense).
• Using electric mixer fitted with clean dry beaters, beat egg whites with salt and cream of tartar in another large bowl until medium peaks form. Gently fold 1/4 of whites into batter to lighten, then fold in remaining whites. Divide batter among prepared pans, spreading evenly. Bake until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Run knife around sides of each cake. Let stand 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks. Cool to room temperature.
• Do Ahead
• Cakes can be made up to 2 weeks ahead. Wrap tightly and freeze.
• Make the buttercream:
• Stir sugar and corn syrup in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil 1 minute. Meanwhile, using electric mixer, beat egg yolks in medium bowl until pale and thick. Gradually beat in hot sugar syrup; continue beating until mixture is completely cool, about 5 minutes. Beat in butter 1 piece at a time, incorporating each piece completely before adding next. Blend in melted chocolate, then rum. (If buttercream looks broken or curdled, place bowl with buttercream over medium heat on stove burner and whisk 5 to 10 seconds to warm mixture slightly, then remove from heat and beat mixture again on medium speed. Repeat warming and beating as many times as needed until buttercream is smooth.)
• Reserve 1/2 cup buttercream. Set 1 cake layer, flat side up, on rack; spread with half of remaining buttercream. Top with second cake layer; spread with remaining buttercream. Top with third cake layer; use reserved 1/2 cup buttercream to fill in seam where cake layers meet. Freeze cake until buttercream is firm, about 2 hours.
• Make the glaze:
• Stir all ingredients in top of double boiler over gently simmering water until mixture is smooth. Remove from over water. Stir until glaze is thickened, about 5 minutes (do not allow glaze to set).
• Pour 3/4 of glaze over top of cake. Carefully and quickly tilt cake back and forth so glaze coats sides; smooth sides with spatula, adding some of remaining glaze where necessary. Chill cake until glaze is set.
• Make the chocolate ribbons:
• Melt white chocolate in top of double boiler over gently simmering water; stir until smooth. Stir in 1/4 cup corn syrup. Pour onto baking sheet. Chill until firm, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer white chocolate to work surface and knead several minutes. Shape white chocolate dough into ball. Wrap in plastic. Let white chocolate dough stand at room temperature 1 hour.
• Repeat with bittersweet chocolate and remaining 1/4 cup corn syrup.
• Cut white chocolate dough into 4 pieces. Flatten 1 piece into rectangle. Turn pasta machine to widest setting. Run chocolate through 3 times, folding into thirds before each run. Adjust machine to next narrower setting. Run chocolate through machine without folding. If chocolate is more than 1/16 inch thick, run through next narrower setting. Lay chocolate piece on rimless baking sheet. Repeat flattening, folding, and rolling with remaining chocolate pieces. Repeat process with bittersweet chocolate dough.
• Cut four 8x1-inch strips from rolled white chocolate dough and four 8x1/2-inch strips from rolled bittersweet chocolate dough. Center bittersweet chocolate strips atop white chocolate strips to form 4 ribbons. Run 1 ribbon from base of cake to center. Arrange remaining 3 chocolate ribbons equidistant from each other in same fashion so ribbons meet in center.
• Cut ten 6 1/2x1-inch strips from rolled white chocolate dough and ten 61/2x1/2-inch strips from rolled bittersweet chocolate dough. Center bittersweet chocolate strips atop white chocolate strips to form 10 ribbons. Cut ends off 2 ribbons on diagonal. Starting at center, drape ribbons over top and sides of cake to form trailers. To form loops for bows, fold remaining 8 ribbons in half, layered side out. Cut ends into V shapes. Arrange ribbon halves with V shapes at center of cake to form bow.
• Cut one 3x1-inch strip of white chocolate and one 3x1/2-inch strip of bittersweet chocolate. Center bittersweet chocolate strip atop white chocolate strip. Fold in ends of chocolate strips and pinch to resemble knot; place in center of bow. Carefully transfer cake to serving platter or cake stand.
• Do Ahead
• Cake can be prepared up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring cake to room temperature before serving.

SPICED CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
• Mix flour, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt together in a large bowl.
• Whisk sugar, melted butter, eggs, milk, yogurt, and rum together in a medium bowl until blended. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Pour in rum mixture, stirring until combined. Pour batter evenly into the prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Allow to cool in the pans. Pierce cakes 15 to 20 times with a toothpick to prepare for rum glaze.
• Melt 3/4 cup butter in water in a saucepan for rum glaze over medium-low heat. Bring to a slow boil. Stir in 3/4 cup sugar and continue to boil, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Let mixture cool for 5 minutes, then mix in 7 ounces of rum. Let cool for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, melt remaining 1/4 cup butter in another saucepan for chocolate glaze over medium-low heat. Bring to a slow boil. Stir in remaining sugar and continue to boil, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Let mixture cool for 5 minutes, then mix in remaining rum and chocolate bar until melted.
• Pour rum glaze over the tops of the cakes while still in the pans. When tops are saturated, turn out onto plates and drizzle more on the bottoms. Repeat until all rum glaze is used. Spread the melted chocolate glaze over the bottom of the cake and then put on the top layer. Spread any remaining chocolate glaze over the top for a nice, dark sheen.