Tiger Cake Recipes

TIGER TEA CAKES: LES TIGRES

Steps:

• Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 48 mini-muffin tins. (There is enough batter to make 48 cakes in tins with a 2-tablespoon capacity or 16 cakes in standard muffin tins holding 1/3 cup.)
• Working in a medium mixing bowl with a whisk, beat the egg whites just to break them up. Add the ground almonds, sugar, flour and corn syrup and stir until the batter is smooth. (If you'd like, you can cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for as long as overnight.)
• Put the butter in a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Remove the butter from the heat and stir it into the batter. When the batter is no longer warm, stir in the chocolate chips.
• Spoon about 1 tablespoon of batter into each muffin tin. (If you are using regular-size tins, use about 3 tablespoons of batter for each muffin mold.) Bake the cakes for 15 to 18 minutes, or until they are puffed and golden; a knife inserted in the center of the cakes should come out clean. Allow the cakes to cool for 2 or 3 minutes, then turn them out onto racks to cool to room temperature.
• When the cakes are cool, you can top them with ganache, if you wish.
• Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl. Bring the heavy cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour the cream over the chocolate, let rest 30 seconds, then gently stir the cream into the chocolate with a small whisk. (Stir, do not beat -- you don't want to beat air into the ganache.) The ganache is now ready to be used as a dip.
• To dip: Place the tiger cakes upside down on a cooling rack. (To protect your counter, put a sheet of parchment or foil under the rack.) One by one, dip the bottoms of the cakes into the ganache, glazing them with ganache to about the half-way point. Return the cakes to the rack to set - about 1 hour at room temperature or 15 minutes in the refrigerator.
• Keeping: Tigres will keep in a covered container at room temperature for up to 3 days, although ganache-topped tigres are best eaten the day they are made. Packed airtight, tiger cakes can be frozen for up to 1 month.

FINNISH TIIKERIKKAKKU, TIGER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F
• Grease and flour a bundt pan.
• Beat butter and sugar together until creamy.
• Sift together flour and baking powder.
• Alternatively, add eggs and flour to the batter until all are combined.
• Stir in vanilla.
• Place 1/3 of cake batter into separate mixing bowl; stir in cocoa and juice of 1/2 orange.
• In original bowl, stir in all of orange zest and juice of remaining 1/2 orange.
• Spread 1/3 of orange batter evenly in bottom of bundt pan.
• Gently dribble half of chocolate batter on top with a spoon or frosting bag.
• Repeat layers, ending with orange batter on top.
• Bake on center rack of oven for 1 hour or until cake tests done.

CHOCOLATE AND ALMOND TIGER CAKE

Steps:

• Make the cake: Center a rack in the oven and heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan and fit a circle of parchment paper at the base.
• Bring the butter just to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Turn off the heat and leave the saucepan on the burner to keep the butter warm while you make the cake batter.
• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt until thoroughly blended. Add the almond flour and whisk. If the almond flour is lumpy, use your fingers to break up the clumps. Switch to a spatula and add the egg whites in 3 additions, stirring until the batter is smooth and easily flows off the spatula. Stir in the vanilla until incorporated. Add the butter in 3 additions, folding until it is completely incorporated and you've got a smooth batter with a light sheen. Stir in the chopped chocolate, mixing well. Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly.
• Bake until golden brown, evenly risen and pulling away from the sides of the pan, 37 to 40 minutes. A tester inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and leave for 5 minutes. Run a table knife around the sides of the pan, flip the cake over, remove the pan, peel away the parchment and invert the cake onto another rack. Allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving or covering with ganache.
• If you'd like, make the topping: Put the cream in a small saucepan and bring just to a boil. Turn off the heat and add the chocolate. Gently stir the chocolate and cream together until blended, thick and shiny. Pour the ganache over the top of the cake and use an offset spatula or kitchen knife to spread it across the cake. Scatter over the toasted almonds. Either leave the cake on the counter to allow the ganache to set a bit (it will never be really firm) or refrigerate the cake for 15 minutes to set the chocolate. The cake is best at room temperature. Covered, it will keep for about 3 days at room temperature.