Best Belgian Cake Recipes

BELGIAN CHOCOLATE BIRTHDAY CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place nuts on a baking sheet. Bake until fragrant and toasted, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel; rub to loosen skins. Butter a 9-by-3-inch springform pan well; coat with cocoa, tapping out any excess.
• In a food processor, grind nuts with granulated sugar until fine but not pasty; transfer to a large bowl; stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt.
• In a heat-proof bowl, whisk together cocoa and boiling water until smooth. (Mixture will thicken as it cools.)
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and brown sugar on high until lightened and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time until well blended.
• Stir buttermilk and vanilla into cocoa mixture. Mixing on low, add half of dry ingredients to creamed mixture; when blended, pour in the cocoa mixture, and add remaining dry mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Scrape batter into prepared pan, smooth top. Bake 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool completely. Place cooled cake on a 9-inch cardboard round.
• Place half the ganache in a bowl; place in a larger bowl of ice water; whip with a balloon whisk until lighter in color and spreadable, removing bowl from ice bath and returning it as necessary.
• Spread the whipped ganache smoothly on top and sides of cooled cake, and chill the cake. Gently stir remaining ganache every 5 minutes until thickened and cool.
• Place cake (still on cardboard round) on a wire rack over a sheet of waxed or parchment paper. Working with a small ladle, pour ganache over top of cake, moving the ladle in a circular fashion while in contact with the cake, letting the ganache run down sides. Scrape up excess and reserve for another use. Let cake stand at room temperature until set. Garnish with nuts and chocolate curls.

BELGIAN CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Flour and grease 3 bread pans.
• 2. Cream sugar, shortening, molasses and eggs. Dissolve baking soda in hot coffee, set aside. Mix in salt, cinnamon and raisins. Add coffee and baking soda. Stir and add flour until dough is stiff.
• 3. Scrap dough into loaf pans and cook until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. These are better if not over-baked, so watch them.
• 4. You may sprinkle powered sugar on top and serve sliced!

MELTING BELGIAN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees.
• Butter 6 (6 oz) custard cups.
• Lightly sprinkle unsweetened cocoa over interiors; shake out excess.
• Set cups on baking sheet.
• In microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate and butter.
• Microwave on medium 1-3 minutes or until almost melted.
• Stir until smooth.
• With whisk, beat eggs, egg yolks, 1/2 cup sugar and beer in large bowl until well blended.
• Stir in chocolate mixture.
• Stir in flour until thoroughly blended.
• Divide mixture evenly into custard cups (filled cups can be held in refrigerator for up to 2 hours before baking).
• In another large bowl, beat all cream ingredients at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.
• When ready to serve, bake cakes on baking sheet 12-13 minutes or until tops are dry and outside edges just begin to pull away from edge of cups (centers may be slightly sunken but will rise as they sit).
• Place on wire rack; cover loosely with foil.
• Let stand 4 minutes.
• With hot pad or towel, hold each cup and run knife around edges to loosen cakes; unmold hot cakes onto serving plates.
• Serve immediately; pass whipped cream separately.
• Store in refrigerator.

BELGIAN CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPE - (3.5/5)

Steps:

• Cake: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread nuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until fragrant and toasted, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel; rub to loosen skins. Butter a 9 by 3 inch springform pan; dust with cocoa, and tap out any excess. 2. In the bowl of a food processor, grind nuts with granulated sugar until fine but not pasty. Transfer to a large bowl; stir in the flour, baking soda, and salt. 3. IN a medium heat-proof bowl. Whisk together cocoa and boiling water until smooth. (Mixture will thicken as it cools) 4. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and brown sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until well blended. 5. Stir buttermilk and vanilla into cocoa mixture. Mixing on low, add half the flour mixture to butter mixture until well blended; pour in cocoa mixture, and add remaining flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Scrape batter into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake 60 to 70 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven; let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan, and cool completely. Place cooled cake on a 9-inch cardboard round. 6. Place half the ganache in a bowl set in an ice bath; whip with a balloon whisk until pale and spreadable; removing bowl from ice bath and returning it as needed. 7. Spread the whipped ganache smoothly on top and sides of cake; chill the cake in the refrigerator. Gently stir remaining ganache every 5 minutes until thickened and cool but still pourable. 8. Place cake (still on cardboard round) on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet lined with waxed or parchment paper. Using a small ladle, pour ganache over top of cake, moving the ladle in a circular fashion and letting the ganache run down the sides. Scrape up excess, if desired, and reserve for another use. Let cake stand at room temperature until set. Garnish with candied nuts and chocolate curls. Ganache Glaze: Place chocolate in a large heat-proof bowl Bring cream in a small saucepan to a boil over medium-high heat; pour over chopped chocolate. Let stand 10 minute. Use a rubber spatula to gently stir chocolate and cream until well combined. Let stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until cooled and just thickened, 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the temperature of the room. Candied Hazelnuts and Chocolate Curls: 1. Preheat over to 350 degrees. Spread nuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until fragrant and toasted, about 12 minutes. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel; rub to loosen the skins. Bring sugar and the water to a boil in a medium-sized skillet. Stir with a fork over medium-high heat until dissolved; let boil 3 minutes more without stirring. Add nuts. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let cool. 2. Once nuts are cool, place half the bittersweet chocolate in a large heat-proof bowl. Set over a pan of simmering water, stir until chocolate is melted and hot. Add remaining chocolate to bowl; remove bowl from pan of water and let stand about 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. 3. Pour half the chocolate onto an inverted baking sheet; spread with bench scraper until 1/8 inch thick or slightly thinner (chocolate should be opaque on surface). Let stand until just tacky. Holding scraper at a 45-degree angle, scrape chocolate off surface, forming curls. 4. While curls set, add candied nuts to remaining chocolate in bowl, and stir until coated. Spread nuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and let stand until set. Sift cocoa powder on top of dried nuts, and toss to coat.

GUINNESS CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH ITALIAN MERINGUE & BELGIAN GANACHE RECIPE - (4.4/5)

Steps:

• Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Thoroughly grease three 9-inch round cake pans (other options could be for three 8-inch round cake pans with 2 inch high sides or two 9-inch cake pans, but you will need to cut each layer in half). Line the bottom with parchment paper and non-stick spray (like Baker's Joy) or butter the parchment paper really well. On the stove, pour 2 cups of Guinness beer, to the butter in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Once simmering, gradually whisk in the cocoa powder (add the cocoa in increments to help it to whisk to lump-free). Remove from heat and let cool a bit. In a large bowl whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. In a stand mixer, beat the eggs and sour cream until they just come together. Add the warm stout mixture to the egg mixture and beat until just combined. Add flour mixture, in increments, and beat briefly on slow speed until just barely combined. (This makes A LOT of batter.) Using a spatula, fold the batter until everything is completely combined. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean. Using three 9-inch pans, the cakes were baked in 30 minutes. Add up to 50 minutes time, if you use two pans. Just watch closely, so you don't over bake. Allow the cakes to cool for 10 minutes, while resting on top of cake racks, then turn the cakes out onto the racks and let cool completely. Italian Meringue: Prepare the simple syrup by bringing the sugar, and water to a simmer in a heavy saucepan. Swirl the pan to dissolve the sugar completely. Using a candy thermometer, bring the temperature to 234 - 240°F (soft ball stage). Do not stir the mixture. Meanwhile: Beat the egg whites at slow speed until they foam throughout the bowl. Add the salt and cream of tartar. Gradually increase the mixer speed and beat until soft peaks form. Turn the mixer speed down to 'slow' as the sugar syrup is reaching the boiling point. While the mixer is still on slow, slowly (and carefully) pour the boiling syrup down the side of the mixing bowl (be careful not to pour it on the whisk). Increase the mixer speed to moderately fast and beat until cool and the egg whites form stiff, shiny peaks. Chocolate Ganache: Finely chop the chocolate and place into a large, heat resistant bowl. Heat the cream, in small heavy saucepan, over medium heat until bubbles begin to form around the edges. Pour half of the cream over the chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds. Whisk the chocolate and cream mixture until you see that the chocolate is being mixed with the cream. Pour in the rest of the warm cream. Continue whisking until all of the chocolate has melted. Set chocolate ganache aside. If you used three 9-inch pans, you won't have to cut any layers in half. If you used two pans, you will need to carefully cut each layer. To do this, I use a rotating cake stand. Gently insert a serrated knife and slowly begin spinning the cake stand. Make sure that your cake layers are even. I like to tear four thin strips of waxed paper, and set them on the cake stand. Then, set your first layer on top. I don't measure how much icing to use, but I plop a mound of frosting on the first layer-- carefully gauging that I leave enough to finish frosting the cake. An off-set spatula helps to evenly spread the frosting all over. Don't worry if the frosting overflows the edge. You can incorporate that over the sides of the cake. Continue frosting the middle layer. For the last layer, spoon the rest of the frosting on top, and then the sides. Don't worry, too much, about making the frosting look perfect. You will be adding the ganache on top, so it will hide any imperfections. Re-whisk the ganache and pour it into a pitcher or measuring cup with a spout, to make pouring easier). The temperature of the ganache shouldn't be scalding hot-- you want it warm enough so that it's pourable, but can't melt the meringue. Carefully pour the ganache in a circle on the top layer of the cake. Start in the center of the cake and work your way to the edge, reserving some of the ganache.) Smooth the ganache with an offset spatula and work your way out. As you get closer to the edge, you'll push the excess over the sides and form the drips. Use any leftover ganache to pour more on top and gently push the excess over the edge to form more drips. Let stand for a couple of hours, in a refrigerator is best, so that the ganache has time to set up. IMPORTANT: Any leftover cake should be refrigerated. The meringue will slowly deflate, after a day, and will be reabsorbed into the cake. This is important only IF there's any leftovers!