The Holidays: A Summary

The best kitchen helpers any cook could ever ask for!

Well hello there, 2011! The tree is undecorated (though still in the house), the kids are back to school, Pete is back at work, and for the first time in over a month, I do not have an out-of-town guest.

I love a full house for the holidays. We live so far from our family and friends that when they come to visit, we employ all sorts of shameless tactics to induce them to stay awhile. The house may get crowded and cluttered, the kids may get wound up and hyper, and the adults may need more than their fair share of wine to get through until bedtime....but having all of these wonderful people in one place over the holidays is always worth the effort.

The cousins on Christmas

This year we were lucky to host my mother, father and grandmother in early December and my sister-in-law, her husband, and two adorable children over Christmas. There was football, gingerbread house construction, more than one chilly day of site-seeing in Philadelphia, and a wealth of food, drink and merriment. We prepared for all of this company by making over 200 handmade ravioli and nearly 4 gallons of tomato sauce (remarkably, there are still some in the freezer). It is an old family recipe that purportedly dates back to the days of the "Roman Legions." If I can persuade my husband to actually write down a recipe, I will post it!


On Christmas Eve we served a lovely grass-fed roast beef tenderloin with port sauce, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, and green beans with carmelized shallots. For dessert, I made a double chocolate cake, with a chocolate butter-cream filling and chocolate ganache frosting. It was delicious with a glass of port!


After all the holiday indulgence, we are going into full on dietary restriction mode. It is quite possible that we ate our entire meat quotient for 2011 in the last month of 2010! So to kick off the new year (and get my cholesterol under control!) I will be starting a "Meatless Meals" series next week that will focus on vegetarian (or nearly vegetarian) meals. But for now, try a heart-stopping piece of chocolate cake.....

Best wishes for 2011!

Double Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream and Chocolate Ganache

Use a high quality chocolate - I used Ghirardelli - you can really taste the difference. Make sure you let the ganache cool sufficiently before trying to frost the cake - otherwise it will be too runny. Just stick it in the freezer for a few minutes until spreadable.   I filled the cake with a chocolate buttercream and had just enough ganache for the top and sides.  If ganache is not your thing, or if you are in a rush, just double the buttercream and use that for both the filling and frosting.

For the Cake Layers:

3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate
1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee
3 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder 
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs
3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla


For the Chocolate Buttercream Filling 

2 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. instant coffee powder 
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped and
melted
1⁄4 cup heavy cream, at room temperature


For the Ganache

1 pound (16oz) fine-quality semisweet chocolate 
1 cup heavy cream

Directions:

Make the Cake Layers:

Preheat oven to 300°F.  Grease three 9-inch cake pans, sprinkle with flour, and tap out the excess.  Line the bottom with rounds of parchment paper - then grease and flour paper as well.
 

Finely chop chocolate and in a bowl.  Pour in the hot coffee and stir the mixture with a fork until the chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. 

Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl.   In another large bowl (or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment) beat the eggs until thickened slightly and lemon colored.  Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined.  Add the dry ingredients and beat until just combined. Divide batter between pans and bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 1 hour. 

Cool layers for ten minutes in the pans. Loosen the cake from the pan by running a thin knife around the edge.  Place a rack over the top of the pan, then invert the cakes.  Carefully remove wax paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.

Make the Buttercream Filling:

In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar and butter.  Beat until combined and smooth, about 1 minute with a stand mixer. Add the vanilla extract and instant coffee. Add the melted chocolate and beat until well mixed and the color is uniform. Pour in the cream, increase the mixer speed to medium, and beat until the color lightens and the mixture looks fluffy.

Use the frosting as soon as possible, while it is still soft and spreads easily.  Do not, however, attempt to frost the cake until the layers are completely cooled.  If you rush it, the heat from the cake will melt the buttercream and your cake will slide. 

Make the Ganache:

Finely chop the chocolate and set aside in a medium bowl.  Bring the cream to a boil over medium heat.  Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate is melted.  Let cool, or chill in the freezer, until spreadable. 

Spread frosting over top and sides. Cake keeps, covered and chilled, 3 days. Bring cake to room temperature before serving.  If you cannot eat it all, do not worry - it freezes beautifully.  Slice the cake and put the slices on a baking sheet in the freezer.  When the ganache and buttercream are cold enough to not smudge, you can wrap each slice in plastic wrap and aluminum foil.  Return them to the freezer - you are now only minutes from chocolate cake, whenever you feel the need.