Chocolate Truffle Star Cake Recipes

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter a standard 6-cup muffin tin. Dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside.
• Put chocolate, butter, and 1 tablespoon sugar in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water; whisk occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat, and let stand until cool and thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Process eggs and remaining tablespoon sugar in a food processor until pale and doubled in volume, about 2 minutes. Sift flour and salt into egg mixture; pulse to combine. Add chocolate mixture 1/4 cup at a time; pulse each addition until combined, about 10 times. (Batter will be thick.)
• Spoon mixture into the prepared muffin tin, filling cups three-quarters full; swirl tops with back of spoon. Bake until tops are springy to the touch, 18 to 20 minutes. Immediately turn out onto wire racks; reinvert, and let cool.

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE STAR CAKE

Steps:

• The cake and stars are best made a day ahead (the cake is easier to slice and fill, and the stars have time to set). Heat oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Butter and base-line a deep loaf tin (22 x 11 x 6cm). Put the chocolate and butter for the cake in a saucepan. Mix the coffee with 50ml water, then pour into the pan. Warm through over a low heat, just to melt - be careful not to overheat.
• While the chocolate melts, mix both flours with the bicarbonate of soda, both sugars and the cocoa. Break down any lumps in the sugar with your fingers. Beat the eggs, then stir in the soured cream. Pour this and the melted chocolate over the flour mixture, then stir everything together - the mix will be very soft. Pour it into the tin, then bake for about 1½ hrs, or until firm on top. Let the cake cool in the tin (it may crack if you turn it out too soon), then loosen the sides and carefully turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• To make the stars, line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Melt both chocolates separately. Pour and spread the white chocolate thinly into a rectangle on the parchment. Drizzle the dark chocolate off the end of a teaspoon in bold squiggles over the top. Leave in a cool, dry place (not the fridge) until almost set but not hard, then lightly press down with a star cutter, about 5.5cm across, to make at least 6 star outlines. (Make a few extra in case of breakages and wipe the cutter each time you press a star shape.) When completely set, cut through the star outlines with a small sharp knife, then carefully lift them off onto baking parchment.
• For the white chocolate icing, heat the cream just to boiling. Remove from the heat, tip in the chocolate and swirl so it starts to melt, then pour in the boiling water and stir to melt completely. Pour into a small bowl and chill in the fridge for about 1 hr to cool and thicken slightly. Beat with an electric hand mixer until thick and glossy.
• When the cake is completely cold, place it into the fridge to chill (this makes it easier to slice). Take the cake out of the fridge and turn it over so the flat base becomes the top of the cake. Slice the cake horizontally into three. Sandwich back together with the white chocolate icing, not quite up to the edges. (This can be done a day ahead and chilled.)
• For the dark chocolate icing, heat the cream with the sugar just to boiling. Remove from the heat, tip in the chocolate, then stir in the boiling water. Leave to cool and thicken a little. Put the cake on a wire rack with parchment paper underneath (to catch any drips). Pour and spread the icing all over the cake. Leave to set slightly, then arrange the truffles down the centre and prop 5 or 6 of your best stars against them.

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE CAKE

Steps:

• For the truffles: Combine the chocolate, cream and butter in a small heatproof bowl set over simmering water and let melt. When almost melted, remove from heat and stir the mixture until smooth. Stir in your flavoring of choice and refrigerate until thick enough to mound on a spoon, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
• Line a baking tray with waxed or parchment paper. Scrape the chocolate mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a #3 plain tip. Pipe 8 (1-inch) mounds onto the prepared tray. Place 1 raspberry in the center of each chocolate mound and pipe a little more of the chocolate mixture to enclose completely. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
• For the cake: Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter or coat with vegetable spray, 8 oversize muffin cups (4-inches wide and 2-inches deep) or 1 1/4-cup custard cups. Line bottoms with rounds of waxed paper.
• In the top of a double boiler or a small heatproof bowl set over simmering water, melt together the chocolate and butter, cool slightly.
• Meanwhile in the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle or beaters, beat the eggs, egg yolks and sugar on high speed until tripled in volume, about 5 minutes. Scrape in the chocolate mixture and, on low speed, beat until just combined. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the flour, using a rubber spatula. Spoon a little of the batter into each of the prepared cups, top with 1 truffle, and cover with the remaining batter. Arrange the cups on a baking tray and bake until the edges of the cakes begin to pull away from the sides of the cups, 12 to 13 minutes.
• Let stand 10 minutes. Invert onto individual dessert plates and carefully peel off the paper. Serve warm. Spoon softly whipped cream or ice cream next to each cake and, if desired, garnish with a few fresh raspberries. Serve immediately.

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE CAKE

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook milk, butter and chocolate over low heat until melted. Remove from the heat; let stand for 10 minutes., Preheat oven to 325°. In a large bowl, beat eggs and vanilla; stir in chocolate mixture until smooth. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt; gradually add to chocolate mixture and mix well (batter will be thin). , Transfer to three greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25-30 minutes. Cool 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely., For filling, in a small saucepan, melt butter and chocolate. Stir in confectioners' sugar and heavy whipping cream until smooth., For ganache, place chocolate in a small bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream just to a boil. Pour over chocolate; whisk until smooth. Cool, stirring occasionally, until ganache reaches a spreading consistency., Place one cake layer on a serving plate; spread with half of the filling. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread ganache over top and sides of cake. Store in the refrigerator.

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C/ gas mark 4 and prepare the cake tin: using a tin measuring 8 inches (20cm)in diameter, 3 inches (7.5cm) deep, lightly oil the cake tin, line the base and sides with baking parchment and oil again, dust the sides with 1 tablespoon each of flour and sugar (this additional flour/sugar is extra to the quantities listed above).
• In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla extract together with an electric whisk for at least 5 minutes - so that it is light and creamy; add the eggs, beating the mix well as you add each egg; beat in the soured cream and milk - it may look curdled, but don't worry this is fine!
• Sieve flours and cocoa together in a separate bowl then sprinkle half over the cake mix; fold in with a metal spoon; sprinkle and fold in the second half.
• Gently spoon the cake mix into the cake tin and make a shallow hollow in the middle with the back of the spoon: bake on the middle shelf for 50 minutes then cover with a double layer of wet baking parchment (to stop the top of the cake overbrowning) and continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes - the cake is baked when it's risen and a fine skewer put in the middle comes out clean: remove from the oven and leave the cake to cool in its tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack, best/flattest side up.
• To make the truffle icing, put the chocolate and butter in a small heatproof bowl and set it over a pan of just simmering water - the bowl must not touch the water: melt the chocolate/butter mix over the water for about 5 minutes then remove the bowl from the pan and leave to cool to 15 minutes: stir in the cream and leave the chocolate mix to cool for about 20-30 minutes so that the icing will be thick enough to coat the cake without the icing running off: pour truffle icing over the cake and spread it over the top and sides.
• To make the almond decoration, first lightly toast the almonds on a baking sheet in the oven at 350°F/180°C/ gas mark 4 for 5 minutes, turning them over half way through; remove and leave to cool: while they are cooling melt the dark chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water until melted, dip the almonds into the chocolate and lay out to dry on baking parchment - about 30 minutes: when dry repeat the process with the white chocolate, but this time arrange the almonds on top of the cake after dipping, the heat of the white chocolate will start to melt the first coat of chocolate on the almonds and you'll get a marbled finish, drizzle any left over melted chocolate over the almonds.
• Leave decoration to cool before serving, then watch the cake 'vanish' before your very eyes!

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8-inch springform pan, and set aside. Place both chocolates in a large heatproof bowl, and set over a pan of simmering water. When chocolate is completely melted, add sugar and butter, and stir until well combined. Remove from the heat, and stir in egg yolks.
• Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; whip until frothy. Sprinkle flour over whites; beat on medium until stiff but not dry.
• Add 1/3 of the egg-white mixture to the chocolate mixture, and stir until thoroughly combined. Very gently fold remaining whites into the chocolate mixture until well blended.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake until springy but still soft in the middle, about 40 minutes. Cool on a rack for 1 hour. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill overnight. Remove from refrigerator, and unmold about 1 hour before serving.

SINFUL CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
• Remove the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan and cover with tin foil, wrapping foil around to the back (this will make it easier to remove cake from pan).
• Replace bottom of pan in springform.
• Grease and flour bottom and side of pan.
• In heavy 2-quart saucepan, combine semisweet and unsweetened chocolates and butter and melt over very low heat, stirring frequently until smooth.
• Pour into a large bowl and set aside.
• In another bowl with mixer at high speed beat egg yolks and sugar until very thick and lemon colored, about 5 minutes.
• Then add the egg yolk mixture to the chocolate mixture, stirring with rubber spatula until blended.
• In another bowl with clean beaters, beat a high speed the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form when beaters are lifted.
• With rubber spatula fold beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture, one third at a time, make sure you fold not stir.
• Pour batter into prepared pan, spread evenly.
• Bake for 35 minutes.
• DO NOT OVERBAKE Cake will firm up while standing and chilling, it is a truffle cake not a standard cake.
• Cool cake completely in pan on a cake rack.
• When cool refridgerate overnight in pan.
• In the morning to remove the cake from pan, run a hot knife, (run knife under hot water) around edge of cake, and unhook spring latch on side of pan and lift off side of pan.
• Invert cake onto cake plate, unwrap foil from bottom of pan and lift off bottom of pan.
• To decorate top of cake using a fine sieve, sprinkle with confectioners sugar, or I made a heart stencil with paper for valentines day and placed on top of cake to create a heart outline with the sugar.
• Refrigerate cake and remove 15 minutes before serving.