Idaho Chocolate Cake Recipes

CHOCOLATE-CANDY BAR LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Make One-Bowl Chocolate Cake Batter and bake following the layer cake instructions.
• Make the frosting: Put the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring, until melted. Let cool slightly. Stir together the cocoa powder and vanilla in a small bowl. Beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until fluffy and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the melted chocolate and beat until combined. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and beat until smooth. Add the cocoa mixture. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until smooth and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Assemble the cake: Put 1 cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate and spread with 1 heaping cup frosting. Sprinkle with the chopped candy and top with the other cake layer. Spread the remaining frosting on the top and sides of the cake. Refrigerate until set, about 30 minutes. Top with more candy.

IDAHO POTATO CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a 12-cup Bundt or tube pan with butter. Dust with cocoa, tapping out excess.
• Peel potato and coarsely chop. Place in a small saucepan and add enough water to cover. Heat over medium-high, bring to a boil, and cook until tender. Drain, then mash until no lumps remain. Measure out 3/4 cup for the recipe; set aside. Reserve the remainder for another use.
• Whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and melted chocolate and beat until thoroughly incorporated. Add potato and beat to combine. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with sour cream, beating until just combined.
• Transfer batter to prepared pan and smooth top with an offset spatula. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Turn out onto rack to cool completely. (Cake can be wrapped in plastic and stored at room temperature up to 1 day or frozen up to 1 month.)
• When cake has completely cooled, slice with a serrated knife, and serve with a dollop of whipped cream, if desired.

PEPPERMINT SWIRL CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Grease and dust four 8-ounce ovenproof ramekins with unsweetened cocoa powder and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Line a plate with parchment paper.
• Combine the white chocolate chips and heavy cream in a medium microwave-safe bowl and microwave, stirring every 15 seconds, until melted, about 1 minute. Stir in the peppermint extract. Divide the white ganache into 2 small bowls. Add 3 drops of red food coloring to one bowl to tint it red and 3 drops of white food coloring to the other bowl to brighten the white ganache. Refrigerate, covered, until mostly set, about 15 minutes.
• Transfer the red and white ganache to individual piping bags and snip each tip to make a 1/2-inch opening. On the prepared plate, pipe two 1-inch-high dollops of each ganache side by side, alternating the color, to form a rough checkerboard cube of 2 red dollops and 2 white dollops. (If the ganache is too stiff to pipe, microwave for 10 seconds). Repeat 3 more times for a total of 4 checkerboard cubes. Freeze until solid, about 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the flour and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Combine the dark chocolate and butter in another medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave, stirring every 15 seconds, until completely melted, about 1 minute 15 seconds. Whisk until smooth.
• Combine the eggs, yolks and granulated sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in the melted chocolate mixture. Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and fold in the flour mixture with a rubber spatula.
• Fill the prepared ramekins halfway with the batter. Place a frozen ganache cube in the center of each, then cover with the remaining batter.
• Bake until the cakes bounce back slightly when gently pressed and the centers are slightly sunk from the ganache, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Let cool in the ramekins for 10 minutes, then invert and unmold each onto an individual dessert plate. Place a paper snowflake cutout or doily over each cake and dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve immediately.

IDAHO CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350. Butter 9/13 inch cake pan. Dust with flour. Shredding Disc: arrange potato in feed tube, shred. Leave in work bowl. Steel Knife: Add 1/2 of all remaining ingredients except frosting and mix 3 minutes, stopping once to scrape bown down. Transfer potato mixture to large bowl; do not clean work bowl. Add all remaining ingredients except frosting to processor and mix 3 minutes, stopping once to scrape down sides of bowl. Add contents of work bowl to potato mixture. Stir to combine. Transfer to prepared pan. Bake until tester comes out clean, 35040 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack and then invert onto platter. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. SOUR CREAM FROSTING: Steel knife: Blend all ingredients until smoothm, about 2 minutes, stoppingn once to scrape down sides of bowl

IDAHOAN MOLTEN LAVA CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Liberally spray six 6 oz ramekins with nonstick cooking spray and place on a baking sheet.
• In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter.
• Alternative: Use a medium size stainless bowl that sits on top of a small saucepan (with water in saucepan) if you do not have a double boiler. Do not let any water get into the melting chocolate.
• Remove from heat and cool.
• In a large mixing bowl beat eggs with hand mixer for several minutes and thoroughly foamy.
• Add sugar, dry mashed potatoes, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, espresso powder and salt. Beat a couple of minutes to mix.
• Add the melted chocolate mixture and beat for five minutes. This recipe works best if lots of air is incorporated into the mixture to make the cakes light and airy.
• Pour into ramekins. DO NOT under bake or over bake the cakes. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes. Keep your eye on them; you want them to be molten (a bit soft in the middle), but not too much.
• Let them rest a few minutes before serving. The center may sink a little - don't worry.
• Run a thin knife around the inside edge to help release the cakes.
• Top with powdered sugar and whip cream.

ASIAN FIVE-SPICE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 10- by 2-inch round cake pan. Line bottom with a round of parchment paper and butter the paper.
• Put chocolates in a large shallow bowl. Bring water, 1/2 cup sugar, and spice to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then pour through a fine sieve set over chocolates. Stir until smooth, then stir in butter until smooth.
• Beat eggs with remaining 3/4 cup sugar until increased in volume and pale and beaters leave a distinct trail (4 to 5 minutes in a standing mixer or 15 to 20 with a hand-held). Stir 1/4 of eggs into chocolate to lighten and fold in remainder gently but thoroughly (fold 1 to 2 minutes).
• Pour batter into pan and smooth top. Put pan in a water bath and bake in middle of oven 40 to 45 minutes, or until a tester inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs adhering. Remove from water bath and cool 2 hours in pan on a rack.
• Unmold cake by running a thin knife around edge, then heating pan 5 to 10 seconds on burner set at moderately low. Invert cake plate over pan and flip cake onto plate. (If cake sticks, tap bottom of pan with a knife handle. If that doesn't work, heat pan again.) Peel off paper.
• Serve cake in thin slices.

IDAHO POTATO CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in potatoes and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa and baking soda; add alternately with milk, beating well after each addition. Stir in nuts. , Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

IDAHO CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°. Butter a 9x13-inch baking pan and dust with flour. Place grated potato in work bowl. Combine all remaining ingredients and add half of the mixture to potato. Mix for 3 minutes, scraping bowl once. Transfer mixture to a larger bowl, add the balance of sour cream mixture, and beat an additional 3 minutes. Scrape sides of bowl once. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 35-40 minutes or until cake tester inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on rack. Invert onto cake dish and frost, if desired.

BASIC HASSELBACK IDAHO® POTATOES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Prepare a bowl of cold water with a squeeze of lemon juice in it. Slice off the bottom of each Idaho® Russet Potato lengthwise to make them steadier for cutting. Place potato between two chopsticks. Cut slits 1/4 apart using the chopsticks as a guide to keep from cutting all the way through. The slices should stay connected at the bottom. Carefully fan out the sliced pieces without breaking them apart. Place the cut potato in the prepared bowl of water while you cut the remaining potatoes.
• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add a couple of sprigs of rosemary, the sliced garlic, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Let sit a few minutes to season the butter.
• Remove potatoes from water and dry thoroughly. Place on a baking sheet. Brush potatoes with some of the melted butter and bake for 1 hour. Halfway through cooking, the potatoes will start to fan out. When this happens, brush with some more of the melted butter.
• Remove from the oven. Brush with remaining butter, sprinkle with salt, and garnish with chopped parsley. Serve right away.