It is Valentine’s Day and once again it has reminded me how fast time is flying – and you might (or might not) know that we celebrate this occasion as a family which means a nice dinner in. Last year we made white chocolate cheesecakes that were scattered with some ripe, red raspberries – this years the girls decided on an everyday style cake.
We threw together a few dishes – everything was heart shaped of course and in various shades of pink or red, well not everything but almost everything. When it came to this cake we ran out of time, so instead of the over-the-top valentine design we planned, we threw on a few rose petals which gave it an instant ‘be my valentine’ look.
When it came to dinner, Mr Man sped through his starter and main just to get to the cake – next time I won’t display it on the table. At any rate, dinner was a success and we all felt very happy to have one another – I hope you had a great day too. xx
Ingredients
340 grams/12 ounces unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pans
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
3 large egg yolks
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk, at room temperature
Chocolate Mousse filling and Buttercream frosting (recipes below)
Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter two 9-inch cake pans and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper. Butter the paper and dust the pans with flour, tapping out the excess.
In a medium saucepan, melt the 3 sticks of butter. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until foamy, about 5 minutes. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the milk solids turn brown and the butter smells nutty, about 4 minutes longer. Scrape the melted butter and browned bits into a large heatproof bowl. Set the bowl in an ice water bath until the butter begins to set around the edge, about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour with the baking powder and salt.
Remove the bowl from the ice water and scrape up the hardened butter. Transfer the butter to the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the paddle and beat until creamy. Add the sugar and vanilla seeds and beat at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks followed by the whole eggs. Beat in the dry ingredients and milk in 3 alternating additions, scraping down the side and bottom of the bowl as necessary.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared pans and bake in the center of the oven for about 40 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking, until the cakes are golden and a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans for 20 minutes, then invert them onto a rack to let them cool completely. Peel off the parchment paper.
Set one cake layer on a platter. Spread the mousse filling on top and cover with the second cake layer. Frost the cake all over with a thin layer of buttercream and refrigerate until set, about 5 minutes. Frost the cake with the remaining buttercream. Refrigerate the cake until the frosting is firm, at least 15 minutes, before serving.
Dark Chocolate Mousse
1/2 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
1/2 tablespoon water
1/2 cup chilled heavy cream
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons sugar
Pinch of salt
113 grams/4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand until softened.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, beat the cream until softly whipped. Refrigerate until chilled, about 10 minutes.
In a small, microwave-safe bowl, heat the coffee liqueur at high power until hot, about 45 seconds. Stir in the softened gelatin until dissolved.
In another medium bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar and salt at high speed until pale and thickened, about 5 minutes. While beating the yolks, beat in the coffee-gelatin liquid; scrape the side and bottom of the bowl. Beat in the melted chocolate. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the whipped cream in 2 additions. Scrape the mousse into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight.
Hazelnut Buttercream
1 cup sugar
3 large egg white
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons hazelnut-praline paste (see Note)
255 grams/9 ounces unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, at room temperature
In a blender or food processor, pulse the sugar until powdery. Transfer the sugar to a medium heatproof bowl and whisk in the egg whites and salt. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk gently until the sugar is completely dissolved, 5 minutes.
Transfer the warm egg-white mixture to the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with the whisk. Add the vanilla and beat at medium-high speed until stiff and glossy, about 8 minutes. Beat in the butter a few pieces at a time, making sure it is fully incorporated before adding more. The buttercream should be light and fluffy; if it appears runny at any time, transfer the bowl to the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes, then return it to the mixer and continue.
Beat in the hazelnut-praline paste until fully incorporated, scraping down the side and bottom of the bowl. Remove the bowl from the mixer and beat with a wooden spoon to remove any air bubbles.
Notes: I couldn’t actually get my hands on the hazelnut praline in time so I used Nutella instead – I just used 3 tablespoons instead of 2.
Source: Tom Douglas for Food & Wine
© 2012, Michelle. All rights reserved.
