Chocolate Cranberry Cakes With Bourbon Whipped Cream Recipes

CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY CAKES WITH BOURBON WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cut out 4 rounds of parchment paper to fit just inside bottom of each mold, then set rounds aside. Melt 2 tablespoons butter, then brush molds with some of it. Line bottom of each mold with a round of parchment and brush parchment with some melted butter. Chill molds 5 minutes (to set butter), then brush parchment and side of each mold with more melted butter. Chill molds 5 minutes more. Dust molds with flour, knocking out excess, and set aside.
• Simmer cranberries and 1/4 cup bourbon in a small saucepan over low heat until cranberries are tender and bourbon is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Melt chocolate and remaining stick butter in a small heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Remove from heat and cool 10 minutes.
• Pulse pecans with flour (2 tablespoons) in a food processor until finely ground, being careful not to process to a paste.
• Beat together yolks and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Add chocolate mixture and beat until just combined, then stir in pecan mixture and cranberries.
• Beat whites with a pinch of salt in another bowl using cleaned beaters until they just hold stiff peaks. Fold one third of whites into chocolate mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites gently but thoroughly.
• Divide batter among molds (they will be very full), then put molds in a shallow baking pan and bake until a wooden pick or skewer inserted into center of a cake comes out with tip wet and remainder of pick dry, about 25 minutes. (Batter will rise above rims but will not spill over.) Transfer cakes to a rack and cool in molds 30 minutes. (Cakes will continue to set as they cool.)
• Beat cream with confectioners sugar and remaining 2 teaspoons bourbon in a small bowl using cleaned beaters until it just holds soft peaks.
• Remove side from each mold, then slide each cake from bottom onto a dessert plate, discarding parchment. Lightly dust each cake with confectioners sugar and serve with a dollop of bourbon whipped cream.

TART CRANBERRY CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat eggs and sugar until slightly thickened and lemon-colored, about 5 minutes. Add butter and extract; beat 2 minutes. Gradually stir in flour just until combined. Stir in cranberries and pecans. Spread in a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. , Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Serve with whipped cream if desired.

CRANBERRY CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Grease bottom only of 13x9 baking pan.
• Prepare cake mix with water, eggs and oil according to package directions.
• Add half cranberry sauce, mix, until well blended.
• Pour into prepared pan.
• Bake about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack.
• Meanwhile, place whipped topping in a medium sized bowl. Sift cocoa over whipped topping, fold mixture until well blended.
• When cake has cooled, place remaining cranberry sauce in small microwaveable bowl, microwave on high 15 seconds or until softened. Spoon over cake, spread evenly. Top with whipped topping mix.
• Sprinkle with almond pieces, just before serving.
• TIP: Use a large container of whipped topping, and also toast the almonds in a 350F oven on a cookie sheet until slightly browned, this brings out the flavor.

OUTRAGEOUS CHOCOLATE CRANBERRY FUDGE CAKE

Steps:

• Make cake:.
• Heat oven to 325ºF. Line an 8-inch round cake pan with foil. Coat foil with cooking spray. Dust pan with flour, tapping to remove excess.
• Microwave 2/3 cup chocolate chips, butter and unsweetened chocolate in large microwave-safe bowl on High for 1 minute. Stir until smooth. Return to microwave for 30 additional seconds if necessary to melt chocolate.
• Stir in cranberry sauce and sugar, mixing well. Add eggs, vanilla, flour and baking powder, stirring until well mixed. Pour batter in prepared pan.
• Bake for 40 minutes or until center is set and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pan 30 minutes. Refrigerate one hour or until cold.
• Make glaze:.
• Microwave cream and chocolate chips together in medium microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute on High. Stir until smooth. Return to microwave for 30 additional seconds if necessary to melt chocolate. Add cranberry sauce, mixing well.
• Turn cake out onto flat serving plate. Remove foil. Spread glaze over top allowing some to drip down sides of cake. Chill about 1 hour or until glaze is firm. Can be made a day ahead of time. Store at room temperature.

CRANBERRY UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Steps:

• Position an oven rack in the center and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a nonstick 9-inch round cake pan.
• Place butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat; stir until melted. Add 1/3 cup white sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Increase heat slightly and stir mixture until it comes to a gentle boil. Cook for 30 seconds, remove from heat, and immediately scrape mixture into the prepared cake pan. (Be careful as mixture will be very hot.) Tilt the cake pan to evenly coat the bottom. Sprinkle cranberries evenly on top of the sugar mixture; set aside.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Beat butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Gradually beat in remaining 2/3 cup sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in orange zest, orange extract, and vanilla extract. Blend in buttermilk. Gradually add flour mixture, beating briefly until smooth. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop heaping spoonfuls of the batter randomly over cranberries in the cake pan, then smooth the batter with the back of a spoon until even.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cake is golden brown, springy to the touch, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges to loosen. Invert carefully onto a large, flat serving plate. Cool for at least 20 minutes before serving.

CRANBERRY ICE CREAM SWIRL CAKE

Steps:

• In a food processor or blender, process wafers until finely ground. Stir ground wafers together with 1/4 cup melted butter and press into the bottom and partway up the sides of an 8-inch springform pan. Freeze 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a covered saucepan over medium heat, simmer cranberries, corn syrup, sugar and water for 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Place in a bowl and chill until cold.
• Spread half the softened ice cream over the frozen crust. Drizzle all but 1/3 cup of the cold cranberry mixture over the ice cream. Top with remaining ice cream. Draw a knife through the layers to marble. Freeze 30 minutes, or until firm.
• Spread remaining 1/3 cup cranberry mixture over top of frozen dessert and freeze 15 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, chop pistachios finely and place in a small skillet over medium heat with 1 tablespoon butter and salt. Cook, stirring, 1 minute, until fragrant. Set aside to cool.
• In a chilled bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. Beat in confectioners' sugar and vanilla and whip until stiff peaks form. Fold in cooled pistachios and spread cream over chilled cake. Freeze 30 minutes, then cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil and freeze 4 hours.
• To unmold, wrap a hot, dampened towel around the sides of the pan for 1 to 2 minutes. Then remove the sides of the pan.