CHOCOLATE CAKE; MOCHA CHOCOLATE CREAM; CHOCOLATE LIQUEUR ICING

Chocolate Cake; Mocha Chocolate Cream; Chocolate Liqueur Icing image

Oh so very gooey and good! Found in Southern Living, September 2005. Looks very complicated but it is not - everything is laid out and easy to follow. Cooling time is about 45 minutes - make in order listed - Icing first, Filling next and then Cake.

Provided by Manami

Categories Dessert

Time 1h35m

Yield 12-14 serving(s)

Number Of Ingredients 26

Ingredients

pam original nonstick cooking spray
unsalted butter
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate baking squares, chopped
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate squares, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup boiling water
chocolate curls
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2 tablespoons instant coffee, without water
1 cup half-and-half
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate squares, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups whipping cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons coffee liqueur, Kahlua coffee liqueur

Steps:

Cake:.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Coat 3 (8 inch) round cakepans with cooking spray.
Line bottoms of pan with wax paper; butter wax paper with butter, and set aside.
Melt chocolate in small saucepan over low heat, stirring until smooth; set aside.
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, beating until just yellow disappears after each addition.
Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla.
Sift together flour and next 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating at low speed until just blended, begining and ending with flour mixture.
Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.
Bake for 28-30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.
Mocha Chocolate Cream Filling:.
Whisk together first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan.
Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until thickened.
Spoon mixture into a small bowl; cover surface of mixture with plastic wrap, pressin wrap onto surface, and let stand 30 minutes or until cool.
Beat butter and sugar at medium speed with electric mixer until light and fluffy.
Gradually add cooled cocoa mixture, 1 Tablespoon at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
Add vanilla, beating until mixture is consistency of whipped cream.
Makes 1-1/2 cups.
Coffee Liqueur Ganache Icing:.
Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium heat just until cream begins to boil.
Pour over chocolate in bowl, stirring until smooth.
Stir in butter and liqueur.
Let stand 45 minutes or until spreading consistency.
Makes 2 cups.
Prepare Icing, then Mocha-Chocolate Filling and then cake, in this order due to the different cooling times.
Assemble the cake:.
Place 1 cake layer on serving plate; spread top with 4 Tablespoons Coffee liqueur Ganache Icing.
Spread half of Mocha-Chocolate Cream Filling evenly over ganache on cake layer.
Top with second cake layer; spread top with 4 Tablespoons of Ganache Icing and remaining Cream Ganache Filling.
Top with remaining cake layer.
Spread remanining Coffee Liqueur Ganache Icing on top of cake and sides of cake.
Garnish with chocolate curls, if desired.