Mexican Chocolate Cake With Dried Cranberries Recipes

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH DRIED CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350°F (175°C).
• Butter and flour a 12-cup (1.5-L) Bundt pan or 9-inch (22.5-cm) angel food cake pan. Melt the butter over moderately low heat, then whisk in cocoa.
• Add water and coffee and whisk until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool.
• Whisk in the sugar, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla.
• Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
• Add the cocoa mixture and whisk until just combined.
• Whisk in the cranberries.
• Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake cake until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, 45 - 55 minutes.
• Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then loosen the edges with a thin knife and invert onto a plate.
• Let cool.
• For the glaze, bring the cream to a boil in a small pot.
• Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, stirring until smooth.
• Spoon the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it run down the sides.
• Keeps well for 3 days tightly wrapped. Freeze for longer storage.

CHOCOLATE ALMOND CAKE WITH SUGARED CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Make the sugared cranberries: Bring 3/4 cup granulated sugar and 3/4 cup water to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Put the cranberries in a large bowl and pour the sugar syrup over them; let sit 1 hour. Whisk the remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar with the cardamom in a large bowl. Drain the cranberries, add to the spiced sugar and toss to coat. Spread the cranberries and sugar on a rimmed baking sheet. Let sit, rerolling the cranberries in the sugar occasionally until dry, 2 to 3 hours.
• Meanwhile, make the cake: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Coat the parchment with cooking spray. Whisk the all-purpose flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, allspice and cardamom in a large bowl; set aside. Put the cocoa powder in a separate large bowl. Heat 1 cup water in a small saucepan until almost simmering; pour over the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Set aside until slightly cooled, about 10 minutes.
• Add the eggs to the cocoa mixture and beat with a mixer on medium-high speed until just combined. Add the granulated sugar, buttermilk, vegetable oil and vanilla; beat until combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low; gradually add the flour mixture, then increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth, about 1 minute. Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans; lightly tap on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 10 minutes in the pans, then invert the cakes onto the rack to cool completely. Remove the parchment. (The cake layers can be made 1 day ahead; let cool, then wrap tightly in plastic wrap.)
• Make the frosting: Beat the butter, confectioners' sugar and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until just combined. Add the vanilla and almond extracts; increase the mixer speed to high and beat, scraping down the side of the bowl, until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the milk and almond liqueur; beat until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 more minutes.
• Halve 1/2 cup of the sugared cranberries. Place one cake layer on a plate or cake stand. Spread with 1 cup frosting, then sprinkle with the halved cranberries. Top with the second cake layer. Cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Top with the remaining sugared cranberries.

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Make cake:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter cake pan well and dust with flour, knocking out excess.
• Melt butter (2 sticks) in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, then whisk in cocoa. Add water and whisk until smooth, then remove from heat. Whisk in separately sugar, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla.
• Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a bowl, then sift again into cocoa mixture and whisk until just combined (don't worry if there are lumps).
• Pour batter into cake pan and bake until a wooden pick or skewer comes out with a few crumbs adhering, 45 to 55 minutes. (Leave oven on.)
• Cool cake in pan on a rack 20 minutes, then loosen edges with a thin knife and invert onto a plate.
• Make glaze:
• Spread pecans in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan (1 inch deep) and bake until fragrant and a shade darker, 6 to 8 minutes. Cool pecans slightly in pan on a rack, about 5 minutes.
• Melt butter in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over low heat, then stir in half-and-half and confectioners sugar. Add chocolate and cook, stirring, until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in pecans and salt. Cool glaze until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Spoon glaze over top and sides of cake (cake will still be warm) and spread with a small offset spatula or knife to cover completely.

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease or spray bottom only of 13x9-inch pan. Make cake mix as directed on box--except add cinnamon to cake mix. Pour into pan.
• Bake as directed on box for 13x9-inch pan. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• In 2-quart heavy saucepan, heat granulated sugar over medium-low heat 6 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly with wooden spoon and watching carefully, until sugar begins to melt. As sugar begins to melt, stir with wooden spoon until sugar is melted and golden brown. (Sugar becomes very hot and could melt a plastic spoon.) Remove from heat; carefully stir in butter and 1 tablespoon of the milk (mixture will become lumpy). Return to medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is smooth. Cool 5 minutes.
• Add powdered sugar to caramel mixture; beat with electric mixer on low speed until well combined. Add 3 tablespoons milk, mixing until frosting is glossy and spreadable. If necessary, add up to 1 tablespoon more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time. Spread frosting over cake. Store loosely covered.

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350*F.
• Lightly coat an 8" round cake pan with vegetable cooking spray.
• Combine all cake ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir until smooth.
• Pour into a pan and bake 25 to 30 minutes (until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean).
• Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
• Remove from pan and cool completely.
• When the cake has cooled whisk together the first three glaze ingredients.
• Dip each strawberry into the glaze and set aside.
• Pour the remaining glaze over the cake and arrange the strawberries on top.
• Set aside to dry- about 30 minutes.

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 12x18 inch pan.
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda and cinnamon. Add the margarine, oil, water, sour milk, eggs and vanilla, mix until smooth. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

DARK CHOCOLATE-CRANBERRY ROCK CAKES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
• In large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter, using pastry blender (or pulling 2 table knives through mixture in opposite directions). Stir in chocolate chips and cranberries; set aside.
• In another bowl, beat eggs and 1/2 cup whipping cream with whisk until well blended. Make well in center of flour mixture; pour egg mixture into well. With rubber spatula, fold together all ingredients until combined and smooth.
• Using large cookie scoop, scoop out 12 balls of dough onto cookie sheet. Brush tops with 1 tablespoon whipping cream; sprinkle with course sugar.
• Bake 17 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack. Serve immediately. Store cooled rock cakes in airtight container; best eaten within 2 days.

CHOCOLATE CURRANT CAKE WITH TANGY CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan. Combine currants and whiskey in small bowl. Let stand 20 minutes.
• Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Whisk sugar, yogurt, oil, milk, eggs and vanilla in large bowl. Mix in dry ingredients. Fold in currant mixture and chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack.
• Spread Tangy Chocolate Frosting over cooled cake and serve.