Ragged Rock Rum Truffle Cake

I made two of these cakes yesterday, one for a charity auction at my kid's former school and one to bring to a friend's house last evening and by all reports, this new dessert was well received at both it's debut locations. This is quite a simple cake but quite elegant and impressive at the same time. I started with a light, airy sponge cake that gets soaked with a little rum before being filled and covered with an easy to make chocolate rum truffle whipped ganache frosting. So luscious!

BTW the name Ragged Rock refers to a brand of rum sold here in Newfoundland; you can use any good quality rum in this recipe.

Ragged Rock Rum Truffle Cake

Sponge Cake

Sift together and set aside:

1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder

For the meringue base of the batter you will need:

6 eggs separated, room temperature

1/4 tsp cream of tarter

1 cup sugar, separated in 2 half cups

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp lemon flavoring (optional)

Beat egg whites and cream of tarter until foamy. Add ½ cup sugar gradually until egg whites are stiff.

Beat egg yolks and ½ cup sugar until foamy and thickened.

Fold beaten egg yolks into the beaten egg whites along with the vanilla (and lemon) for only a few turns before slowly and gradually folding in the flour and baking powder mixture very gently BY HAND using a rubber spatula until just incorporated into the meringue mixture. I mix in the dry ingredients in 3 equal portions. Do not over mix, you just want the flour to be incorporated; over mixing will deflate the egg whites and result in a tough textured final product.

Pour into greased and parchment paper lined 8 inch round cake pans and bake at 325 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until center springs back when touched. Turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.

When the cake is completely cooled, split the two layers into four and sprinkle each layer with

1 ounce rum

To prepare the frosting, melt together in a double boiler

3 cups dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup whipping cream

Stir constantly over a gentle simmer in the double boiler, just until melted and smooth throughout. You do not want this mixture to get hot, it should be just at the melting point and only lukewarm to the touch.

Transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in

2 ounces good quality rum

In a separate bowl, whip to firm peaks:

2 cups whipping cream.

Add the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture in four portions, folding gently after each addition until the whipped cream is completely incorporated into the chocolate. 

At this point you will probably have to chill this frosting for a half hour or so in the fridge if it is too soft to work with. Just give it a quick fold with a rubber spatula every 10 minutes so that it cools evenly in the fridge.

Fill and frost the rum soaked cake layers with the frosting and garnish with fresh berries if desired. Chill the cake for a couple of hours before serving.

Strawberry White Chocolate Buttercream Cake - our 800th recipe!

Strawberry White Chocolate Buttercream Cake

This is a big "pause" moment for me. Today marks the 800th recipe posted on Rock Recipes. Just writing that seems more than a little odd. On a quiet Saturday afternoon, as I write this recipe, I take a step back to ask the question, "Why the heck am I doing this anyway?". It is a good question and one I'm often asked, so I've stopped to consider what the real answer is.

Cooking and baking has always come naturally to me. As a child, I was transfixed by the possibilities that simple ingredients could be transformed into something greater than the sum of it's parts. The fact that only butter and flour could be transformed into puff pastry for example, was magic to me. How was that possible? The realization that the fusion of simple ingredients to create something much more amazing than its simple components was the catalyst that pushed me forward. In seeking the possibilities, I came quickly to realize that they were endless.

Endless possibility in anything that you are passionate about is what enriches your life and makes it better. Even in the early days of beginning to cook, I resisted repetition. Why have meatloaf for dinner every Tuesday when there were so many more possibilities ? I think ultimately, that is why I write this blog, to help illuminate the possibilities.Thanks to all who joined along the way. We haven't exhausted the possibilities yet.

To celebrate I've created this terrific layer cake. I always think this cake is even better the next day when the sugar from the frosting has made the berry chunks even more sweet and luscious.


Vanilla Cake

Sift together and set aside:

• 1 1/2 cups cake and pastry flour
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt

Cream together until fluffy:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar

Add, one at a time, beating well after every addition;

• 4 eggs at room temperature

Beat in

• 4 teaspoons vanilla extract

Gently fold in the dry ingredients in three equal portions, alternately with

• 1 cup undiluted evaporated milk

When adding dry and wet ingredients alternately in any baking recipe, always begin and end with the dry ingredients.


Pour batter evenly into 2 well greased and floured 9 inch cake pans. Bake in a 325 degree F oven for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Watch it carefully, you will not want to over bake this cake, as soon as the toothpick comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven and let it rest in the pans for 5 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting

• 8 cups icing sugar (i.e. powdered sugar, confectioners sugar)
• 2 cups butter

Using an electric mixer on low, mix the butter and icing sugar together until the butter breaks up and get evenly dispersed throughout the sugar in small pieces. The mixture will still appear dry at this point. This stage ensures even distribution and prevents butter lumps in your frosting.

Add

• 4 tsp vanilla extract
• Approximately 6 tbsp milk

Both of these liquid measures can be adjusted. The milk can be adjusted to make a thicker frosting by adding less or a more spreadable frosting by adding a little more. Use you own judgement here. The vanilla extract can be adjusted to your own taste too.

When the icing reaches the desired consistently continue to beat it on high speed for 5 minutes to incorporate more air into the frosting to make it lighter and fluffier. Fold in:

• 2 cups diced fresh strawberries

Frost the middle and sides evenly with the frosting and chill the cake for several hours before adding the white chocolate ganache glaze.

White Chocolate Ganache Glaze

In a double boiler melt together

• 1 1/3 cups white chocolate chips( or 8 ounces chopped white chocolate)
• 1/4 cup whipping cream

Stir this mix constantly and get it off the heat as soon as the chocolate is melted. You do not want this mixture hot but just luke warm; as close to the melting point as possible. Let it cool down if it gets too hot.

Working as quickly as you can, ( a lazy susan is a big help if you have one) pour the ganache directly in the center of the cake, and then using an icing spatula spread it evenly over the top of the cake, letting it drip off the sides. Garnish with chopped white chocolate and fresh strawberries.

For butter and/or shortening based frostings like this, I do store the cake in the refrigerator but take it out at least an hour before serving to let the frosting warm up to room temperature. Cold frosting is too hard and letting the cake warm up allows this frosting to return to the creamy texture it is meant to have.

Midnight Mint Chocolate Cake

Midnight Mint Chocolate Cake

I recently asked our followers over on our rapidly growing Facebook Page (Like our page Here) to suggest a new flavor combination for a layer cake and they came up with some very interesting ideas, more of which I may try later. One very obvious combination several commenters and emailers suggested was chocolate mint and I suddenly realized I had never tried this flavor in a cake since I was a kid, experimenting in the kitchen. So as a return to my experimental youth, I decided a chocolate mint cake it would be and this was an utterly delicious success. If you are a chocolate mint lover, this is going to be one dangerous cake to have around...irresistible!

Chocolate Cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup soured milk (milk plus 1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar)
• 1 cup black coffee
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes.

Pour into 2 greased and floured 8 or 9 inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

When completely cooled, split the two layers horizontally with a serrated bread knife to make 4 layers.

Mint Frosting

• 8 cups icing sugar (i.e. powdered sugar, confectioners sugar)
• 1 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 cup butter

Using an electric mixer on low, mix the butter and icing sugar together until the butter and shortening break up and get evenly dispersed throughout the sugar in small pieces. The mixture will still appear dry at this point. This stage ensures even distribution and prevents butter or shortening lumps in your frosting.

Add

• 1 tbsp mint extract (NOT artificial mint flavoring)
• Approximately 6 tbsp milk

Both of these liquid measures can be adjusted. The milk can be adjusted to make a thicker frosting by adding less or a more spreadable frosting by adding a little more. Use you own judgement here. The mint extract can be adjusted to your own taste. Add more if you want a more intense mint flavor.

When the icing reaches the desired consistently continue to beat it on high speed for 5 minutes to incorporate more air into the frosting to make it lighter and fluffier.

Frost the middle and sides evenly with the frosting and chill the cake for several hours before adding the chocolate ganache glaze.

Chocolate Ganache Glaze

In a double boiler melt together

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup whipping cream
• 2 tsp mint extract

Stir this mix constantly and get it off the heat as soon as the chocolate is melted. You do not want this mixture hot but just luke warm; as close to the melting point as possible. Let it cool down if it gets too hot.

Working as quickly as you can, ( a lazy susan is a big help if you have one) pour the ganache directly in the center of the cake, and then using an icing spatula spread it evenly over the top of the cake, letting it drip off the sides.

For butter and/or shortening based frostings like this, I do store the cake in the refrigerator but take it out at least an hour before serving to let the frosting warm up to room temperature. Cold frosting is too hard and letting the cake warm up allows this frosting to return to the creamy texture it is meant to have.