Chocolate Hazelnut Cake

I felt like making cupcakes today. And this is what I came up with. A Chocolate Hazelnut cake with Fudgy Chocolate Hazelnut Frosting topped with a Ferrero Rocher! Everything was delicious! Happy Baking!!!

Chocolate Hazelnut Cake
10-12 servings

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder, dissolved in 1 tablespoon boiling water and cooled
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
6 eggs, separated, room temperature
1/2 cup toasted husked ground hazelnuts
1/4 cup Frangelico liqueur
Pinch of salt
Pinch of cream of tartar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch

Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 350 F. Butter and flour 9 inch round cake pans or prepare a cupcake pan for 12 cupcakes. Melt chocolate in top of a double broiler set over simmering water or in a microwave in 30 second intervals until melted. Combine sugar and butter in a large bowl of electric mixer and beat until pale yellow and sugar is dissolved; about 5 minutes. Beat in egg yolks one at a time. Mix in hazelnuts, liqueur, chocolate mixture and espresso. Beat egg whites with salt and cream of tartar in a large bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold 1/4 of whites into yolk mixture to lighten. Spoon remaining whites on top. Sift flour and cornstarch over whites and gently but thoroughly fold mixture together. Pour into prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted near sides comes out clean, about 25 minutes (center may still be moist). Cool in pan on rack.

Fudgy Chocolate Hazelnut Frosting

Makes 3 cups

3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sifted confectioners sugar

3 tablespoons Frangelico liqueur

Put both chocolates in a medium stainless steel bowl and place the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water or place in a microwave on 30 second intervals until completely melted. Stirring after each interval. Remove the bowl from the pot or microwave and set the chocolate aside to cool until tepid.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 30 seconds. Gradually add the confeectioners' sugar and beat at high speed until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the cooled chocolate at low speed, mixing until blended and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Increase the speed to high and beat until slightly aerated, about 1 minute.

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cake

I made this for my brother-in-laws Birthday. His favorite cake is Strawberry. I don't have a good homemade strawberry cake recipe so I decided to use the WASC recipe and use a Strawberry cake mix. I substituted half of the water for Strawberry liquor and added 10 ounces thawed strawberries chopped and mixed in to the batter. I loved it!

I paired the cake with my most requested chocolate frosting. Whipped Chocolate Ganache. It tasted just like a chocolate covered strawberry. I loved it. Next time I'll be sure to dump the strawberries on top in chocolate to finish it off.

CAKE RECIPE
WASC Cake ( My Strawberry Version)

55 min. - 10 min. prep - Serves 40-50

2 (18 ounce) boxes Strawberry cake mix
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/3 cups water
1 1/3 cups Strawberry liquor
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
2 teaspoons strawberry extract
2 cups sour cream
6 large eggs
10 ounces thawed strawberries

Place all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir together with a wire whisk.

Add the remaining ingredients and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Pour into greased and floured cake pans, filling each pan a little over half full.

Lightly tap cake pans on counter to bring air bubbles to top.

Bake in preheated 325 F oven until cake tests done.

Baking time varies according to the size and depth of pans being used.

Whipped Ganache

http://www.amazon.com/Cake-Book-Tish-Boyle/dp/0471469335/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1311558943&sr=1-1

Although it is light as a cloud, this silky filling and frosting has a real chocolate kick. This recipe can easily be doubled.

Makes 3 Cups

7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or 1 tablespoon Cognac, Grand Marnier, Kahlua or other liqueur

Put the chocolate in the bowl of an electric mixer and set aside.

In a medium saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a gentle boil over medium-high heat. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand for about 1 minute to melt the chocolate, then whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the vanilla extract or Cognac or liqueur. Cover the surface of the ganache with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm enough to whip, at least 6 hours.

Using the whisk attachment, beat the ganache at medium-high speed until it forms medium peaks and is firm enough to spread, about 1 minute (do not over beat).

STORE: in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week; bring to room temperature before using.