Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Happiness On A Plate



In high school I had a boyfriend that drove me nuts. As we parted company at school on Friday he'd say something vague like, "I'll call you." Then I'd spend the whole weekend waiting by the phone for the call that never came. On Monday I'd find out that he'd been out with his buddies doing something wonderful like shooting bunnies in the desert. It made me feel tremendously special that I came in second to that.

After several weeks of this I got fed up and started making sure I had plans to be elsewhere. I'd call up girlfriends and invite them to go to a movie, ask if they needed to go to the library, or just invite myself over to watch TV. I wanted to be sure that if he did actually call, he'd get the message that my life didn't revolve around him and that I wasn't just sitting around pathetically waiting for the phone to ring.

I learned several things from that relationship, one of which was that I couldn't sit and wait for other people to make me happy. I need to be in charge of my own happiness.

Recently I was flipping through a back issue of Bon Appetite and saw a chocolate stout cake recipe. This was just before St. Patrick's Day and I thought it would be fun to put the beer in the cake and blog about it for the great boozefest, I mean Irish celebration. But life interfered and it didn't get made in time. But I had the can of stout sitting on the counter and I still wanted to make it. I had not birthdays coming up, no celebration to justify a cake, but I wanted it. So I made it. Because some things always make me happy, and chocolate cake is one of them.

The stout in the cake was really interesting. The flavor was elusive, but present. The very best part, though, was the frosting. Oh my ganache, it was good. Like a truffle turned into frosting. I'm not sure that I'll make the stout cake again, but give me a bowl of that frosting and I'll be a happy camper for sure!

Chocolate Stout Cake
- adapted fromBon Appetite

Cake:
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
14 tablespoons (1-3/4 sticks) salted butter, room temperature
1-1/4 cups plus 3 tablespoons sugar
3 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup chocolate stout, regular stout, or porter
2/3 cup freshly brewed strong coffee


Frosting:
1 pound bittersweet chocolate (54% to 60% cacao), chopped
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder



For cake:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter and flour two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 -1/2-inch-high sides. Line bottom of each cake pan with parchment paper round; butter and flour parchment. Place chopped chocolate in medium metal bowl. Set bowl over saucepan of barely simmering water and stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water and set aside.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter and 1-1/4 cups sugar in large bowl until fluffy and pale yellow, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolks 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in lukewarm melted chocolate, then stout and coffee. Beat flour mixture into chocolate mixture in 2 additions just until incorporated.

Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites and remaining 3 tablespoons sugar in another medium bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/3 of egg whites into cake batter to lighten, then fold in remaining egg whites in 2 additions. Divide batter between prepared cake pans (about 3 cups for each); smooth tops.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer cakes to racks and cool in pans 20 minutes. Invert cakes onto racks; remove parchment paper and cool completely. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and store at room temperature.

For frosting:
Place chopped chocolate in medium heatproof bowl. Combine whipping cream and espresso powder in medium saucepan. Bring cream mixture to simmer over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally. Pour cream mixture over chopped chocolate; let stand 1 minute, then whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Chill chocolate frosting until slightly thickened and spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 2 hours (or for quick chilling, place frosting in freezer until thickened and spreadable, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes).

Using serrated knife, trim rounded tops from both cake layers so that tops are flat. Place 1 cake layer, trimmed side up, on 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom or cardboard round, then place on rack set over baking sheet. Drop 1 1/4 cups frosting by large spoonfuls over top of cake layer; spread frosting evenly to edges with offset spatula or butter knife. Top with second cake layer, trimmed side down. Spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides of cake. DO AHEAD: Can be made up to 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let cake stand at room temperature at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours before serving.

13 comments:

LizNoVeggieGirl said...

I want that cake for my birthday today! :D

Mrsblocko said...

Give me a spoon and that frosting any day. Wait can "any day" be right now? Why oh why do I never have whipping cream in the house!!!?

Hazel - Chicken in a Cherry Sauce said...

I think I could definitely eat a whole bowl of your frosting! I have read before that a little bit of espresso really enhances it.

Chels/Catz in the Kitchen said...

Mmm, That does look really good. And I think most of us girls can all relate to your story. We've all had that boyfriend. Mine didn't go shooting bunnies in the desert, but he was off doing other equally as annoying things, lol!

Stephanie said...

I love your post. How many of us were also in that position of waiting for others to make us happy. It is so good you learned that lesson early.

Your description of the gananche was enough for me to put this cake on my to do list for the weekend.

Shannon Riley said...

Looks great! I might just have to make that myself! :D

Anonymous said...

Oh my ganache. Boo hiss.

Looks fabulous and I do have a birthday in the offing which may just require this cake!

You are Fabooo!

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

My happiness could easily revolve around a chocolate cake Lynn!!!

Elle said...

Looks yummy! Can I bring over a fork?

grace said...

as someone who was exposed to way too much cheap beer in college, i tend to stay away from all varieties now, but this cake sounds right tasty. meanwhile, i hope that jerk of a boy got what was coming to him. :)

Barbara said...

There isn't one of us who didn't sit by the phone waiting at one time or another. You feel such a fool to have done it.
You did the smart thing! And making this cake was smart too! It looks wonderful!

Homemade Heaven said...

I was given a bottle of Milk Stout when I attended a Food Bloggers conference in February. It's sitting patiently in my fridge waiting to make me happy (and not by drinking it). This recipe is going to be my chocolate lent breaking celebration meal. I've been without chocolate for so long now, I can't even remember the taste!
Thanks for the inspiration.

Unknown said...

OMG! i want that cake. .super tempting indeed.. =)


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