showstopper chocolate cake
How to make showstopper chocolate cake
- Curd: Beat in a medium saucepan until it turns pale yellow. 1/2 minus 1TBS sugar 1 whole egg 3 yolks (reserve the whites for meringue). 1/3 cup orange juice, 10 green cardamom pods, 2 TBS minced candied Ginger 6 TBS butter. Stir on medium heat until butter melts.
- Continue beating until the mixture thickens. After this, Allow it to simmer for a few seconds. Let the mixture simmer in the pot until it reaches room temperature, stirring occasionally.
- Next, take out the cardamom pods from the pot and place them in the refrigerator overnight. Half cup orange juice, 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tbsp triple sec. Stir until the mixture is approximately 1/4 cup. Let cool, then place in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the oven to 220 degrees. Mix 1/4 cup of egg whites (about 2 eggs whites) 1/4 teaspoon Cream of tartar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until you get soft peaks. Add slowly, 1TBS at a time 1/2 cup superfine sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form.
- Pipe the mixture onto a piping bag using a plain 1/2 inch tip or a larger opening. To press the mushroom caps down, use a damp finger. Dust with unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Bake for two hours. The oven should be turned off and the merengues placed in the oven to cool down. The “bottom” of the mushroom caps can be painted with dark chocolate melted. Next, you will need to attack the stem. Now You can keep it in an airtight container for up to four weeks.
- DAY TWO: Half a genoise is baked in a 9×13 pan and baked for 15 minutes.
- To make this a jelly roll cake, you will need to bake a particular type of sponge cake.
- Now Line a 9×13-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
- Mix the following ingredients in a bowl: 1/2 cup plus 2TB cake flour 2TB sugar. In a small bowl, heat about 110 degrees. Beat 3 eggs and 3/8 cups sugar until they are pale yellow. Turn off the heat.
- Continue beating for about 5-15 minutes, or longer if using a hand mixer instead of a mixer. Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Now In three batches, combine the dry ingredients with the eggs.
- Fold in gently to combine. 1/3 cupcake batter, 3 TBS butter, 1/2 tsp vanilla. Mix the butter mixture with the remaining batter. Fold in the mixture until it is smooth. DO NOT OVERMIX. Bake the batter in a pan for about 15 minutes, or until it is just set.
- DO NOT OVERBAKE. Now Turn out of the pan and remove the parchment. Then, flip right-side-up to cool on a wire rack. Dark chocolate glaze: Melt 1 cup of dark chocolate chips in a double boiler. Stir slowly and carefully.
- Add 2 TBS hot water and 2 TBS hot triple sec. Cool to room temperature. It should be a frosting consistency. Do not beat. Do not beat the frosting. You might try heating the frosting in the microwave for about 10-20 seconds to soften it before you put it on the log.
- ASSEMBLY: Take out the excess cake from the sides to make it even. Turn it upside down. Spread the orange syrup on the “underside” and let it cool down. Spread the curd on top, leaving an inch at one end. Roll out the cake. You won’t always succeed.
- There are many tricks that I’ve seen other chefs use. You might have to re-bake the cake. Keep going, and try your best. Frost the log with chocolate frosting and make decorative marks using a fork. Garnish the log with meringue mushrooms.
- Before cutting into the cake, I let it sit in a cool place (or in the refrigerator if my kitchen is too hot). Next, The cake can be kept in the refrigerator. It can be kept in the fridge for up to one week. You can use leftover cake by heating a slice in the microwave for 20 seconds on medium. This will soften the chocolate frosting and make it look like truffles.