Marzipan Cake With Chocolate Ganache And Sliced Almonds Recipes

ALMOND PRALINE CAKE WITH MASCARPONE FROSTING AND CHOCOLATE BARK

Steps:

• For ganache filling:
• Simmer cream and sugar in medium saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Add chocolate; whisk until smooth. Chill until just spreadable, about 6 hours.
• For almond cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottoms with parchment paper; dust pans with flour. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl. Using heavy-duty mixer, blend brown sugar and butter in large bowl. Beat in almond paste 1 piece at a time, then beat until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in extracts. Fold in dry ingredients. Divide batter among pans; smooth tops. Bake cakes until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on rack.
• For almond praline:
• Line baking sheet with foil. Stir sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until deep amber, swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush occasionally. Mix in nuts. Pour onto foil; cool. Peel foil off praline. Chop praline coarsely. DO AHEAD Praline can be made 1 day ahead; store airtight at room temperature.
• For mascarpone frosting:
• Beat all ingredients in large bowl just to soft peaks (do not overbeat or mixture will curdle).
• Run knife around pan sides to loosen cakes. Turn cakes out; peel off paper. Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread half of ganache over; sprinkle with 1/4 cup praline. Top with second cake layer. Spread remaining ganache over; sprinkle with 1/4 cup praline. Top with third cake layer. Spread frosting over top and sides of cake. DO AHEAD Cake can be made 1 day ahead; cover with cake dome and chill. Store remaining praline airtight at room temperature.
• For chocolate bark:
• Line baking sheet with foil. Melt chocolate in small bowl set over saucepan of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Remove from over water. Drizzle all but 1 tablespoon chocolate over foil in thick (about 1-inch-wide) zigzag lines (chocolate will pool in spots). Sprinkle 3 tablespoons praline over chocolate; chill bark until firm, about 1 hour.
• Press praline around bottom 2 inches of cake; sprinkle more atop. Peel foil off bark; break into pieces. Press edges into frosting atop cake. Remelt 1 tablespoon chocolate over simmering water, stirring often. Using spoon, drizzle chocolate over cake. DO AHEAD Chill up to 4 hours. Serve cold or at room temperature.

ALMOND CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH GANACHE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350, grease and flour a 9x13 pan.
• sift the flour, baking soda and salt into a large mixing bowl, add the almonds, combine with a whisk and set aside.
• With an electric mixer on low speed, beat the butter for about 1 minute, or until the butter is lighter in color.
• Slowly add the sugar, about 2 Tbls at a time.
• When all of the sugar is added, continue to beat for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed; the mixture will look fluffy like something between mayonnaise and whipped cream.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 10 seconds between each addition.
• Add the melted chocolate and honey and beat for a few seconds until smooth.
• With a rubber spatula, fold the sifted ingredients into the batter in 3 segments, alternating with the buttermilk which is added 1/2 cup at a time.
• Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the mixture looks smooth.
• Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top.
• Bake for about 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Cool the cake on a wire rack.
• Ganache:.
• Heat the cream on the stove until just under a boil.
• Pour the heated cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds.
• Stir until the chocolate is all melted and thouroughly combined into the cream.
• Frost the top of the cake only with the ganache while the cake is still warm.
• Serve at room temperature.

MARZIPAN CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Butter and flour a 9" cake pan.
• Cream the almond paste with the butter and sugar.
• Mix in the almonds.
• In a small bowl, beat the eggs lightly with almond extract and add to the creamed mixture.
• Combine the flour and baking powder and stir into butter mixture.
• Mix with a few strokes as possible.
• Pour batter into cake pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.
• Do not over bake!
• Heat water and preserves and brush on the top of warm cake.

MARZIPAN CHOCOLATE LOAF CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter a 1kg loaf tin (ours was 14 x 24 x 7cm) and line with a long strip of baking parchment. Lightly dust a surface with icing sugar and roll the marzipan out to a 1cm-thick rectangle, then cut it so that it's just smaller than the base of the loaf tin.
• Beat the butter and both sugars together in a large bowl using an electric whisk until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, flour, baking powder, almond extract, milk and cocoa powder until smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips, scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure everything is combined.
• Pour half the batter into the tin. Top with the marzipan rectangle, then pour the remaining batter on top and smooth the surface. Bake for 1 hr-1 hr 15 mins until golden, risen and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool completely in the tin.
• To make the ganache, bring the cream to a simmer in a small pan. Meanwhile, put the dark chocolate, golden syrup and almond extract in a heatproof bowl. Once the cream is simmering, pour it over the chocolate mixture and set aside for 2 mins to melt. Whisk until smooth, then leave for 5 mins to cool and thicken slightly. Pour the ganache all over the cake, and cut into slices to serve.

WHITE CAKE WITH MARZIPAN AND ALMONDS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a round baking pan with 1 teaspoon butter; coat with bread crumbs.
• Beat egg whites in a glass, metal, or ceramic bowl until foamy. Gradually add 2 tablespoons sugar, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form.
• Mix remaining sugar, flour, cornstarch, and baking powder together in a large bowl. Sift over the beaten egg whites; fold together very gently until batter is smooth. Fold in melted butter and amaretto liqueur. Stir in half of the marzipan.
• Pour batter into the prepared baking pan. Sprinkle remaining marzipan and sliced almonds on top.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool cake completely, about 30 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate.