Gale Gand Chocolate Blackout Cake Recipes

MYSTERY MOCHA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Melt the chocolate and butter together over hot water. Meanwhile, sift together 1 1/4 cups of the sugar, sifted flour, baking powder and salt. Stir the dry mixture into the chocolate mixture and blend. Stir in the milk and vanilla. Pour into a greased, square 9 by 9-inch cake pan. Mix brown sugar, remaining 1/4 cup sugar and cocoa powder and sprinkle over the batter. Pour coffee over and bake for 40 minutes. Serve warm or cold from the pan.

BROOKLYN BLACKOUT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Butter and flour 2 (9-inch) cake pans. Cut 2 circles of parchment paper or waxed paper to fit the bottoms of the pans, then press them in. In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter and shortening together. Add the sugar and mix until light and fluffy. One by one, add the eggs, mixing after each addition. With the mixer running at low speed, add the vanilla, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix. With the mixer still running at low speed, add about 1/3 of the cake flour, then about 1/3 of the milk, and mix. Repeat with the remaining cake flour and milk and mix. Pour into the prepared pans and bake until dry and springy to the touch and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay), 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks and let cool completely, to room temperature. Using a long serrated knife, cut the cake layers in half horizontally. Reserving 3 halves for the cake, put the remaining half in a food processor, breaking it up with your hands. Pulse into fine crumbs.
• To finish the cake, place a cake layer on a cake plate or serving platter (reserving the most even layer for the top) and spread with cooled custard. Top with another layer of cake, then custard, then the final layer of cake. Cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining custard. Coat the cake with the cake crumbs. Chill until ready to serve, at least 2 hours. Serve the same day.
• Pour 2 1/2 cups of the water, the sugar, corn syrup and cocoa powder into a large non-reactive saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup of water and the cornstarch. Whisk into the cocoa mixture in the saucepan and return the mixture to a boil, whisking constantly. Cook, whisking constantly, until very thick, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and vanilla. Pour into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, lightly pressing the plastic against the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until firm, about 45 minutes.

GALE GAND'S DEEP CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet or jellyroll pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Place the butter, SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener, sugar, vanilla and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Mix, using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer until the mixture is light and creamy (approx. 1-1 1/2 minutes). Add cocoa powder and all the flour. Mix until just blended.
• Remove dough from bowl and form into a ball. Place the ball of dough on the parchment lined pan. Roll the dough into a rectangle approx. 6 1/2 inches wide by 11 inches long and 1/4 inch thick. Pierce the surface of the dough with a fork all over. This allows the air to escape during baking preventing air pockets from forming.
• Bake in preheated 375 degrees F oven 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan after 10 minutes of baking. Remove shortbread from oven after 20-25 minutes and immediately cut into 24 fingers or rectangles while the shortbread is still warm. If allowed to cool, shortbread will not slice well.

GALE GAND CHOCOLATE BLACKOUT CAKE

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 375 Butter two 9 in round cake pans and coat lightly with flour Line bottom with parchment In a standing mixer fitted with the whisk, beat the 1 stick of butter with the shortening until creamy. Add the sugar and beat at medium speed until fluffily about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between additions. Add the vanilla. At very low speed, beat in the cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the 2 1/4 cups of cake flour and the milk in 3 separate additions. Divide the cake batter between pans and bake in center of oven for 30 min. Let cakes cool. Filling: In a large sauce pan, combine 2 1/2cups of the water with the sugar, corn syrup and cocoa powder and bring to boil, whisking constantly. In a bowl, whisk the cornstarch with the remaining 1/2 cup of water until smooth, whisk into the cocoa mixture. Cook over moderate heat, whisking until very thick, 3 min. Off the heat, whisk in the butter, vanilla and salt. Place a sheet of plastic onto the surface and let cool, and refrigerate, 45 min. Half each cake layer. Break up less attractive top cake layer and transfer to a food processor, and pulse to crumbs. Set one cake bottom on cake plate and spread with 1 1/2 cups filling. Add another layer and repeat. Add final layer and cover entire cake with remaining filling. Pat the crumbs all over the cake. Refrigerate 1 hour.

GALE GAND'S DEEP CHOCOLATE SHORTBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a cookie sheet or jellyroll pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Place the butter, SPLENDA® Granulated Sweetener, sugar, vanilla and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Mix, using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer until the mixture is light and creamy (approx. 1-1 1/2 minutes). Add cocoa powder and all the flour. Mix until just blended.
• Remove dough from bowl and form into a ball. Place the ball of dough on the parchment lined pan. Roll the dough into a rectangle approx. 6 1/2 inches wide by 11 inches long and 1/4 inch thick. Pierce the surface of the dough with a fork all over. This allows the air to escape during baking preventing air pockets from forming.
• Bake in preheated 375 degrees F oven 20-25 minutes, rotating the pan after 10 minutes of baking. Remove shortbread from oven after 20-25 minutes and immediately cut into 24 fingers or rectangles while the shortbread is still warm. If allowed to cool, shortbread will not slice well.