Best Chocolate Cake Toffee Sauce Recipes

CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE WITH TOFFEE SAUCE, CHOCOLATE GANACHE AND VANILLA ICE CREAM BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease two 8-inch round cake pans.
• Whip the granulated sugar and eggs with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Meanwhile, put the coffee, butter, vinegar and 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave until the chocolate and butter are melted, about 3 minutes; then whisk together until well-blended. In a separate mixing bowl, add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt; whisk together. Add the oil and sour cream to the bowl with the chocolate mixture and mix well.
• Add a third of the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix well to incorporate. Then mix in half of the chocolate mixture. Continue to alternate with the flour and chocolate mixtures, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally and finishing with the flour. Divide the batter between the prepared cake pans. Fill each pan slightly below the top edge (you may not use all the batter). Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips over the top of each. Bake until the centers bounce back when touched, 30 to 35 minutes.
• For the toffee sauce: Melt together the butter and brown sugar in a heavy saucepot and cook until simmering. Remove from the heat, then add the heavy cream and vanilla, and stir. Return to the heat and allow the sauce to boil for another 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into a metal mixing bowl. Cool completely, then refrigerate.
• For the chocolate ganache: Place the chocolate chips, heavy cream and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 3 minutes. Stir until all the chocolate is melted and the ingredients are incorporated. Cool in the fridge until the consistency is like a paste.
• For the buttercream: Add the egg yolks to a mixing bowl and whip with an electric mixer until light.
• In the meantime, mix the sugar and 1/2 cup water in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Wet a pastry brush with water and wash down the sides of the pan to avoid crystallization. Continue to cook until the sugar syrup registers 235 degrees F (softball stage) on a candy thermometer. Remove from the heat and, with your mixer running constantly at medium speed, immediately but slowly pour the hot sugar into the egg yolks in a steady stream.
• Continue to beat with the mixer until the mixture cools down completely. Add the butter, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds. Continue to beat until all of the butter is incorporated and the icing is smooth, glossy and spreadable (see Cook's Note). Add some buttercream to a pastry bag.
• To assemble the cake: Place 1 cake layer on a cake plate. With the pastry bag, pipe a border around the top edge of the cake layer for a "frosting dam" to hold in the toffee sauce. Poke holes into the top of the cake layer and pour at least 1/4 cup toffee sauce (or more to taste) over the top so that it penetrates the cake. Then spread a thin layer (about 1/8-inch thick) of ganache over the top. Put in the freezer for 5 minutes to make the ganache solidify. Then spread a layer of buttercream over the top of the chilled ganache. Generously sprinkle some English toffee bits over the buttercream and drizzle with more toffee sauce and ganache. Place the second cake layer on top and ice with the buttercream. Drizzle the top with more ganache and toffee sauce, then sprinkle toffee bits over the top. Serve immediately or refrigerate, covered. Take out of the fridge 1 hour prior to serving, to bring to room temperature.

CHOCOLATE CAKE & TOFFEE SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 160C/ 325F/ Gas 3.
• Lightly butter a 25cm spring form cake tin, then line the base with a circle of baking parchment.
• Break the chocolate into a bowl and add the butter. Rest over a pan of simmering water, making sure that the bowl does not touch the water. Leave to melt, stirring until it is smooth and glossy, then remove and set aside.
• Put the sugar and egg yolks into a large bowl. Whisk together until the mixture becomes pale and thick and leaves a trail on the surface for a few seconds. You can't overwork the yolks and sugar here. Once thoroughly mixed, gently fold into the melted chocolate.
• Next, whisk the egg whites into soft peaks - the tips of the peaks should just fold over, not stand upright. Fold the whites into the chocolate mixture very gently. Pour into the tin and bake for approx 45 minutes. It will souffle up during cooking and just crack when it's ready but then collapse once you bring it out of the oven. Don't worry; this is just the way it should be. Once removed from the oven, leave it to cool in the tin.
• For the toffee sauce, place the sugar, butter and cream in a medium saucepan over a medium heat and stir until dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer until it thickens to the texture of a thick, sticky custard.
• Once the cake is cold, carefully remove it from the tin and peel off the paper. Dust with icing sugar, cut the cake into wedges and serve with the toffee sauce poured over and a dallop of creme fraiche on the side.