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.

Homemade White Chocolate Fudge Oreos

We live just around the corner from my kid's school so every day there is a parade of teens who come to our house for lunch and are often taste testers for new baking experiments. Such was the case earlier this week when the kids all loved our Homemade Fudgee-Os so the idea occurred to me to try a white chocolate fudge center to make a sort of Super Oreo! Although the Fudgee-Os are still my favorite, the kids thought these were amazing and they sure did not last long. I certainly prefer the white chocolate fudge filling than the traditional Oreo filling...it is sooo good!

Makes about 2 dozen completed sandwich cookies.

Chocolate Wafer Cookies

Sift  together and set aside:

1 ½ cups flour
1 ½ cups cocoa

Cream together until well combined:

½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
3 tsp vanilla extract

Add

4 egg whites

Beat until light and fluffy. Fold in the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms. Form the dough into a roll about 2 ½ inches wide, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for a couple of hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a very sharp knife, cut off thin slices of the chilled dough, about ¼ inch, and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Fudge Filling:

Melt together

1 cup white chocolate chips

2 tbsp butter

Don’t let the chocolate mixture get too hot. You want the chocolate to be just melted but not hot.

Blend in until smooth:

1 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)
2- 4 tbsp milk

Spoon the fudge filling into a piping bag with a large plain round tip (or just a Zip-loc bag with the corner snipped off) and squeeze some of the filling onto the center of half the cookies. Place the other half of the cookies on top and press down to evenly spread the fudge to the edges of the cookies. Allow these cookies to sit for a couple of hours for the fudge to set up before serving.

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Garlic and Five Spice Grilled Steak

I love summer grilling season when you can come home from work and within a half hour be sitting down to a quick-grilled dinner like this delicious striploin steak, marinated in a simple mix of Asian flavors. The beef can take the marinade for up to 24 hours, so with 5 minutes of advance preparation, this recipe will be ready to cook as soon as you can get home and warm up the grill. The small amount of sugar that is added to the marinade caramelizes on the surface of the meat for extra flavor which is delicious with the other flavors of soy sauce, five spice and garlic.

We served these great steaks with some grilled corn on the cob and a simple side salad for a completely satisfying meal.

4 striploin steaks, well trimmed and placed in a large Ziploc bag

For the marinade mix together:

1/4 cup, reduced salt soy sauce

2 cloves minced garlic

1 tsp Chinese Five Spice Powder

1/2 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 tsp crushed chili flakes (optional or adjust to taste) 
1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil (optional)

Stir together well before pouring onto the steaks and sealing the Ziploc bag. Marinate for at least an hour (and up to 24 hours) turning the Ziploc bag over a couple of times during the marinating time.

Preheat the grill to very high heat and grill for 4 minutes per side for medium rare steak. Yes, I actually do use a timer. Remove steaks from the grill, cover with a sheet of aluminum foil and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Patriotic Mini Star Cakes

"Oh, say can you see..."

These red, white and blue Mini Star Cakes make me feel all patriotic.
I made them with vanilla cake, whipped cream,
fresh berries and strawberry sauce.

They would be a fun treat for your Memorial Day BBQ
or Fourth of July celebration!

Making Mini Star Cakes

Prepare your favorite vanilla cake batter. Divide the batter equally into 3 bowls. Use food coloring to make one bowl of batter red and one blue. Bake as directed and cool. (I baked mine in 8 inch square pans.) While the cake is baking, make your whipped cream and strawberry sauce.

Whipped Cream

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon clear vanilla
• 4 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

In a large bowl, whip cream until soft peaks form. Beat in vanilla and sugar until stiff peaks form. (Do not over-beat, cream will become lumpy and butter-like.)  Store in the refrigerator.

Strawberry Sauce

• 2 cups pureed strawberries (fresh or frozen)
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon or lime juice

Level your cake tops if needed.

Use a star cookie cutter to make star shapes from each cake layer.

 

Remove the cake scraps around the outside of the stars.

(I'll show you what to make with these later!)

Use a spatula to transfer a red star to a plate.

 Put your whipped cream in a decorating bag, and snip off the tip.

Cover the star with whipped cream: Make an outline, then fill it in.

 Arrange sliced strawberries on top. 

 Layer with a white cake star. Cover with whipped cream and blueberries.

 

Layer with a blue cake star. Cover with whipped cream and strawberry sauce
(let it drip down the sides). Garnish with strawberries and blueberries.

Now let's make something with those cake scraps...

Mini Trifles!

Cut the cake scraps into cubes.

Layer all ingredients in a glass or mason jar, in the same order as above.

 

If you aren't a fan of whipped cream and fruit on your cake, you could put frosting between the cake layers instead and sprinkles on the top.

 

 Enjoy!

I link up at these fun weekly parties.

And these holiday link parties...

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Cherry Swirl Almond Crumble Coffee Cake

Cherry Swirl Almond Crumble Coffee Cake

Here's another flavor combination in our growing collection of coffee cakes. This delicious almond and vanilla flavored cake gets a swirl of sweet cherry compote through  the cake before being topped by a buttery almond shortbread crumble. This is one more addition to the many brunch ideas on Rock Recipes. Check out our Pinterest board of Best Brunch Ideas for more ways to make a favorite weekend meal truly special.

Cherry Compote

2 cups pitted cherries

½ cup sugar

3 tbsp water

Simmer together for only a few minutes.

Stir together:

1 ounce water

1 rounded tbsp corn starch

Add quickly to the simmering cherries stirring constantly. Cook for only a minute before taking off the heat and allowing it to cool to almost room temperature.

 
Coffee Cake

Sift together and set aside:

2 2/3 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder

In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment in place, whisk together on high speed until foamy and slightly stiffened.

2 eggs
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

½ tsp almond extract (optional)

Mix together in a measuring cup with a spout:

1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Slowly add the oil and butter mixture to the egg mixture in a slow stream as the mixer continues to whisk.

Mix together

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup milk

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Add slowly to the mixing bowl continuing to mix but at a reduced speed.

Fold in the dry ingredients by hand with a rubber spatula being careful not to over mix. Don't worry about lumps in the batter, they are fine.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured 10 inch springform pan. Dot the surface of the batter, a heaping tablespoon at a time with

1 1/2 cups Cherry Compote

using the handle of a wooden spoon, swirl the cherry compote through the batter. 

Almond Shortbread Crumble

1/3 cup ground almonds
2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup butter
½ tsp vanilla extract

Pulse together in a food processor or rub the butter into the flour with your hands until fully incorporated.

Add the crumble topping by squeezing together handfuls of the crumb mixture and breaking off small pieces, which get scattered all over the surface of the batter.  You can also add in some slivered almonds and a few extra cherry pieces with the crumble for an extra flourish of garnish. 

Bake for 50-60 minutes at 350 degrees F or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The toothpick test is definitely the best way to ensure that this cake is fully baked. Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

Homemade Fudgee-O Cookies ; Chocolate Fudge Sandwich Cookies

Homemade Fudgee-O Cookies ; Chocolate Fudge Sandwich Cookies

While many kids were into Oreos, my favorite store-bought cookies as a child were Fudgee-os. When I was experimenting with a chocolate glaze a little while back, it came out more like fudge than a glaze but I wasn't disappointed because that happy little accident prompted me to try it as a filling for these dark, rich chocolate fudge sandwich cookies. The experiment was a rousing success and I must confess, I like these much better than the many, many store bought Fudgee-Os I ate as a kid. Maybe it was time for grown-up Fudgee-Os.

Makes about 2 dozen completed sandwich cookies.

Chocolate Wafer Cookies

Sift  together and set aside:

1 ½ cups flour
1 ½ cups cocoa

Cream together until well combined:

½ cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
3 tsp vanilla extract

Add

4 egg whites

Beat until light and fluffy. Fold in the dry ingredients until a soft dough forms. Form the dough into a roll about 2 ½ inches wide, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for a couple of hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a very sharp knife, cut off thin slices of the chilled dough, about ¼ inch, and place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake for about 12 minutes. Cool on the cookie sheet for a few minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Fudge Filling:

Melt together

1 cup chocolate chips

2 tbsp butter

Don’t let the chocolate mixture get too hot. You want the chocolate to be just melted but not hot.

Blend in until smooth:

1 cup icing sugar (powdered sugar)
4 tbsp milk

Spoon the fudge filling into a piping bag with a large plain round tip (or just a Zip-loc bag with the corner snipped off) and squeeze some of the filling onto the center of half the cookies. Place the other half of the cookies on top and press down to evenly spread the fudge to the edges of the cookies. Allow these cookies to sit for a couple of hours for the fudge to set up before serving.