happy belated, Ronnie – plus a big cake!

we’re friends and we’re neighbors! Lori, Ronnie, Amy, and me

Before you even look at this recipe, disclaimers all around! This is not an original recipe, this amazing cake was inspired by a recipe in the December 2007 issue of Bon Appétit. Since it was already not expensive, time-consuming, or impressive enough; I added in the toppings of vanilla pastry cream, whipped cream, and fresh berries!

Do you want to know what is really crazy– I made this cake 5 times! I needed to make a total of four cakes for two separate cooking classes that I taught back in December (four cakes so I would have the various stages of the cake for each class). I used two of those cakes to actually serve at the classes, two as prizes for students who visited my blog, and finally, the fifth one was for my dear friend, Ronnie’s, birthday. Unfortunately, the pictures do not show the cake with its toppings because I was too tired, broke, overbooked, and overworked to put those on Ronnie’s cake. Although, even without the extra work and calories of the toppings,  it is truly a showstopper and undeniably delicious too!

Ronnie not only got gypped by not getting the cake toppings but also was ripped off on my blog when I didn’t even mention that it was her birthday! You see, her birthday is December 23, so I’m sure that all her life, she’s felt slighted in the birthday department -always being upstaged by Christmas, and here I did it to her again. Sorry, Ronnie, I love you and dedicate today’s blog to you! xoxo

Consider making this cake for the next big birthday in your house or maybe even for Valentine’s Day, as long as there are at least a dozen of you celebrating together (kinky!) because, boy oh boy, is this thing rich!

Chocolate Panna Cotta Cake

Cake
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped or chips
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup Kahlua or Mocha flavored Kahlua
1/4 cup hot water
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sour cream

Panna Cotta
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup Kahlua or Mocha Kahlua
5 teaspoons unflavored gelatin (Knox)
7 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
5 ounces high-quality milk chocolate, chopped
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise
Chocolate Band
Two 16×3-inch strips of waxed paper
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped or chips

Vanilla Pastry Cream
2 1/4 cups whole milk, divided
6 large egg yolks
2/3 cup sugar, divided
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1/2 cup heavy cream, whipped

2 pints of fresh berries of your choice, garnish

Cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray two 10-inch-diameter springform pans with 2 1/2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray.  Place chocolate and cocoa in a medium bowl.  Heat Kahlua and water in a small saucepan, then pour over chocolate and cocoa in a bowl; whisk until smooth.  Set aside.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in another medium bowl.

Using an electric mixer, beat oil and both sugars in a large bowl for a minute (mixture will be crumbly).  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating to blend after each addition.  Beat in sour cream.   Mix in half of the dry ingredients.  Beat in chocolate mixture.  Add remaining dry ingredients; beat on low speed just to blend (batter will be thin).  Divide batter between pans (layers will be shallow).  Bake cakes until tester inserted into centers come out clean, about 20 minutes.  Cool in pans on rack.

Panna Cotta: Place water and Kahlua in a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over; let soften for 10 minutes.  Place both chocolates in a large metal bowl. Combine cream, milk, sugar, and vanilla extract in a large saucepan.  Scrape in seeds from vanilla beans; add beans. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves; remove from heat.  Add gelatin mixture; whisk to dissolve.  Pour cream mixture over chocolates in a bowl; whisk until completely melted.  Place bowl over a larger bowl of ice water.  Stir often until the mixture thickens like pudding, draining off water and adding more ice to ice bath as needed, for about 30 minutes.

Pour 1/2 of panna cotta over cake in 1 pan (mixture may drip down sides of cake).  Freeze for 45 minutes.  Keep remaining panna cotta at room temperature.

Remove pan sides from the second cake. Using a large metal spatula, carefully slide the cake off of the springform bottom and place it atop panna cotta in the cake pan.  Pour remaining panna cotta over, filling pan completely.  Chill overnight.  (Can be covered and frozen for 2 weeks. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before continuing.)

Chocolate Band: Line a large baking sheet with foil; set aside.  Place another large sheet of foil on the work surface; place waxed paper strips atop the foil, spacing apart.  Stir chocolate in a medium bowl set over a pan of simmering water until smooth.  Pour half of the melted chocolate down the center of each waxed paper strip. Using a small offset spatula, spread chocolate to cover strips evenly, allowing a little of the chocolate to extend beyond the edges of wax paper strips, making sure strips are completely covered.  Using fingertips, lift strips and place them on a foil-lined baking sheet.  Chill until chocolate just begins to set but is still completely flexible only about 2 minutes.

Cut around springform pan sides to release cake.  Remove pan sides from the cake.  Using fingertips, lift 1 chocolate band from foil, keeping wax paper intact.   Wrap band around the cake, waxed-paper side out, lining up 1 long edge with the bottom of the cake (the band will be higher than cake).  Repeat with the second band, arranging so ends just meet, pressing the band onto the uncovered side of the cake.   If bands overlap, trim any excess paper and chocolate.  Using fingertips, press the top edge of the band in toward the cake, forming a slight ruffle.  Chill until chocolate sets, about 5 minutes.  Gently peel off waxed paper.  (Can be made 1 day ahead.  Chill.)

Vanilla Pastry Cream: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup milk, egg yolks, 1/3 cup sugar, and cornstarch.

Pour the remaining 1 3/4 cups milk into a heavy medium saucepan.   Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean; add bean.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup sugar over, letting sugar sink undisturbed to the bottom.  Set pan over moderate heat and bring to simmer without stirring.  Once simmering, whisk the milk mixture, then slowly whisk into the egg yolk mixture in the bowl.   Return to saucepan over moderate heat and cook, whisking constantly, until pastry cream simmers and thickens about 1 minute.  Remove from heat, discard the vanilla bean, and whisk the cream until smooth.  Transfer to bowl and press plastic wrap directly onto the surface.  Chill until cold, about 4 hours.  (Pastry cream can be made ahead and refrigerated, wrapped well with plastic wrap on the surface, for up to 3 days)

Immediately before serving, fold 1 cup of the pastry cream into the 1 cup of whipped cream.  Fill a pastry bag with cream and pipe on top of the cake, top with berries.   (Reserve remaining pastry cream for another holiday dessert, such as Caramelized Bananas and Vanilla Pastry Cream in Phyllo Cups – found at  Epicurious.com)

Serves 12