Chocolate Confection Cake

As I've mentioned before, I base many of my confections on my ice cream flavors, orange cinnamon, banana saffron, and I use my seconds in my ice creams. So, I said to myself, why not use them to make a ganache for my yellow cake? I toyed with using a soft serve ice cream as an "icing" on my cake but decided to make a nice ganache.

To make the yellow cake, please read my yummy yellow cake recipe. And once that has cooled, make the following ganache.

27 oz dark tempered chocolate (I used 27 ounces of my raspberry cordials and my plain caramels.) I like using 73% or better.
3 cups heavy cream
3 oz soft butter

Since I was using a cordial, I didn't feel I needed any spirits. You shouldn't feel that need. But if you want, throw in a shot or two of Framboise. (The eau-de-vie.)

Put the chocolate in a bowl and heat the 3 cups milk to very hot. Stop before it boils. Pour the hot heavy cream over the chocolate chips or the cordials and let stand for 5 minute. Make sure the chocolate is covered. Then gently stir the mixture. I stir from the middle to the outer edges. When the middle looks like it's mixed, I widen my circle. (Sorry, I don't have pictures of this.)

When the chocolate and cream are emulsified, and the ganache is no longer hotter than 90F, add in the butter and massage well into the ganache. At this point, add the spirits if you choose.

Pour the mixture over the cake and spread only if you have to. I like the poured look to my cake. Remember, this is ganache not icing. Use the spatula sparingly.



Let set. You can put it in the refrigerator if you wish. Take it out and cut as desired. But make sure you wipe your knife each time you make a cut or you'll get chocolate on the side of the cake. Depending on how you cut this, you should get at least 12 pieces.

When I made this cake, I made it two layered. I poured the ganache on top of one of my yellow cakes, then I put the other cake on top. Finally, I covered the whole cake with ganache. The little bumps in my cake come from the fruit that was in the cordials. Lovely.

You can finish with a little dollop of unsweetened whipped cream. Yum.

This is the same yellow cake that Nancy used to make her strawberry yellow cake, rather than shortcake. Recipe coming.

Yellow Cake Recipe

This is my basic yellow cake recipe:

2 cup butter
5 cups white sugar
6 eggs
1 T vanilla extract
5 cups milk
4 cups all purpose flour
3 1/2 cups cake flour
1 T and 1 1/2 t baking powder
1 T and 2 t baking soda

Preheat oven to 350F and grease either two 10X12 pans or one big 10 X 24 pan. I use the later.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar.

Beat in eggs one at a time.

Add the vanilla.

Sift together four, baking powder and baking soda. Slowly beat into egg mixture. (I use my mixer on medium to low. You don't want to develop the gluten.) Mix gently and stop when the flour is combined with the egg mixture. Next add the milk but do not overwork. When the milk is incorporated, stop.

Pour into cake pans and bake for 35-40 minutes. You can use the toothpick test to see if it is done. If the toothpick comes out clean, then it's done.

Allow to cool before using. If properly wrapped, you can freeze this cake. Thaw before using.