Churro Cake With Spiced Chocolate Sauce Recipes

CHURRO LOAF CAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F. Coat a 9-by-5-inch nonstick loaf pan with baking spray and set aside.
• Cream 12 tablespoons of the butter and 1 1/2 cups of the sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until pale and fluffy, about 6 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract and eggs in a liquid measuring cup and whisk with a fork until combined. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside.
• Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low, then add a third of the flour mixture and mix until fully incorporated, about 20 seconds. Add half of the egg mixture, again mixing until fully incorporated. Repeat with the remaining flour and egg mixtures, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula or small offset spatula. Tap the bottom of the pan swiftly against the counter 10 to 15 times to release any large air bubbles.
• Bake on the center rack, rotating the pan halfway through, until the top of the loaf is deeply golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 55 minutes to 1 hour. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes before removing it from the pan and allowing it to fully cool on a baking rack, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, combine the cinnamon and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl, then pour two-thirds of the mixture in a rectangle about the size of the loaf cake on a baking sheet.
• Once the cake is fully cooled, place the chocolate and corn syrup in a medium heatproof bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until just simmering, then carefully pour over the chocolate. Allow to sit for 1 minute, then stir with a rubber spatula until the heavy cream is fully incorporated, the chocolate is completely melted and the sauce is smooth and glossy.
• Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in a small bowl in the microwave. Using a pastry brush, evenly coat all 4 sides and the top of the cake with the melted butter. Carefully press each side of the cake into the sugar mixture, using your hands to press the cinnamon sugar to fill in any uncovered spots. Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar evenly over the top of the cake. While the cake is still on the sheet pan, drizzle the chocolate sauce over the top, then transfer to a serving platter.

CHURROS WITH CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Steps:

• For the chocolate sauce: Scrape the vanilla seeds into a small saucepan; add the vanilla bean, cream, brown sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt and cook over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved, no lumps of cocoa powder remain and the mixture is simmering, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat, discard the vanilla bean and add the chocolate, stirring to melt. Let sit until ready to serve (the sauce will thicken as it sits).
• For the churros: Whisk together the cinnamon and 1 cup of the organic sugar in a medium bowl; set aside.
• Scrape the vanilla seeds into a medium saucepan; add the vanilla bean, milk, butter, salt and remaining tablespoon organic sugar and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Remove and discard the vanilla bean, add the flour and use a wooden spoon to vigorously mix until the dough comes together, about 30 seconds. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Fit the stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat the mixture on medium-low speed. Add the eggs to the dough one at a time, making sure to incorporate each egg before adding the next. (The dough will look broken at first.) Continue to beat, scraping the bowl occasionally, until the dough is smooth, glossy and somewhat stretchy (pull off a small piece of dough and stretch it--it shouldn't break). Spoon the dough into a pastry bag fitted with a large closed star tip.
• Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Pour the oil into a large pot until it comes halfway up the sides. Fit the pot with a deep-frying thermometer and heat the oil over medium-high heat until the thermometer registers 350 degrees F.
• Holding the pastry bag at an angle so the tip is a few inches above the surface of the oil, squeeze out the dough, moving the bag as you squeeze so the dough is piped in a 6-inch length into the oil (use a paring knife to cut off the dough at the tip to release it into the oil). Repeat the process to make 4 more churros. Fry the churros, turning once and adjusting the heat as needed to maintain the oil temperature, until deep golden brown on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to the lined baking sheet for a moment, then toss in the reserved cinnamon-sugar mixture. Repeat with the remaining dough.
• Serve the churros with the warm chocolate sauce.