Volcano Stout

Chocolate Stout Lava Cake ft. Habenero Ganache + Dark Chocolate Shards

This remix was inspired by beer-brewing birthday boy Ben, the creator of the subtly explosive Volcano Stout beer. Ben is a home brewer and the Volcano Stout is first beer he brewed in NYC and one of my favorites that he has brewed, period: a smooth chocolate-y stout with a spicy aftertaste. I can't take credit for the name - Ben says the name came from the 'sweet opening, time delay, and eventual eruption of heat' from the beer.

I also followed his lead and used the habanero peppers only to infuse the liquids (stout for the cake and cream for the ganache) in the recipe - there should be no habanero pepper remnants in your cake or you can say hasta la vista to your taste buds. You may want to wear plastic gloves while handling the peppers - I made the mistake of not doing so during the Volcano Stout test run and my hands suffered the heated wrath of the habaneros for the rest of the night.

This is a smooth chocolate cake with a habanero-infused stout that gives a bit of kick and a second kick comes in the form of the habanero-infused ganache poured on top. You can use dark chocolate for a super-dark volcanic ganache or red candy melts if viscous magma is more your thing. The red ganache would actually make excellent blood for a Halloween cake, but that's another cake for another day...

Happy Birthday Ben!

chocolate stout lava cake
1 box dark chocolate cake mix
1-1/4 c. milk stout beer
3-4 habanero peppers
4 eggs
1/3 c. vegetable oil
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees F, grease pan with butter or a non-stick spray like PAM. Rinse habanero peppers, slice off ends, and slice each pepper into 2-3 thick rings - being careful not to touch pith or seeds with bare fingers. Pour stout beer into a small bowl with the sliced peppers for 60 seconds. Strain the peppers from the stout, leaving the beer infused with the heat of the habaneros. Save the peppers for spicing the ganache cream and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, oil, and habanero-infused stout until smooth. Slowly add in cake mix, beating well after each addition. Pour batter into greased 8” round pans and bake for 5 minutes less than the  times on the back of the box. Baking at a higher temperature than usual (375 versus 350) will cause the perimeter and outside of the cake to bake quicker, leaving the inside slightly molten.

habanero ganache
10 oz. red candy melts OR dark chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
3-4 habanero peppers (same as the cake)
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Similar to the stout in the cake, pour heavy cream and sliced habanero peppers into the same bowl for 60 seconds. Strain peppers from cream and set aside.

In a small saucepan on the stovetop, bring habanero-infused cream to a boil. Remove from heat, added in chopped chocolate or candy melts, and whisk mixture until blended. Let cool and thicken 5-10 minutes without hardening. Set cake on a wire cooling rack on top of a baking sheet and pour ganache onto cooled cake, letting ganache run down the sides. Place in the freezer immediately for 5-10 minutes so the ganache will harden mid-drip.

Garnish with shards/pieces of dark chocolate and serve at room temperature.

dark chocolate shards
Starting with a bar of dark chocolate, use a large knife to chop chocolate into large and small shards. Set aside to garnish cupcakes or cake.

volcano stout cupcakes
For cupcake versions, use an ice cream scoop to fill liners with batter and bake on 375 degrees for 12-16 minutes, leaving cupcake interiors a little molten - test with a toothpick. Use a spoon to drizzle or pour habanero ganache over cupcakes, letting the ganache run to the edge of the cupcake liner. 

For serving, layer cupcake in a second liner and sprinkle with dark chocolate shards/shavings.

Thankful

Butternut Squash Cake ft. Pumpkin Spice Ricotta Frosting + Cranberry Sauce

Tis the season - for everyone from Martha Stewart to Pinterest to Buzzfeed to kick into high gear and overwhelm you with the infinite ways to cook your turkey, mix up your side dishes, and revamp your pumpkin pies. Most people stick to their beloved traditional menus which have stood the test of time but if you have the chance to contribute a flashy new dish to the table, there are some a-m-a-z-i-n-g- recipes floating around the Internet this time of year - check 'em out.

This one is simple and sweet and draws its flavors from typical Thanksgiving ingredients: earthy and savory butternut squash, pumpkin spice, and of course - cranberries. I had never made cranberry sauce before, so cross that off the culinary bucket list, and it adds a tartness in contrast to the nuttier flavors in the cake and frosting. It also works well on the cupcakes as a drizzle and as a marbled texture - will definitely add a pop of color to any dessert table.

The cornucopia is a symbol of harvest and abundance, and its texture can be replicated in frosting form with a small round tip and the basketweave tip. I once used that tip on a sombrero cake and it works just as well here for the braided border.

Happy Thanksgiving, be thankful, and get yer elastic waistbands ready.

Mai Tai

Pineapple Rum Cake ft. Rum Frosting + Triple Sec Orange Curd

Summer is technically not over yet so here is one last summer remix before the solstice - a fruity and slightly boozy cake version of the fruity yet very bozzy Mai Tai cocktail. Usually seen as a Tiki/Polynesian-themed drink, the cake features pineapple, light and dark rum, a splash of lime juice, and my first-ever attempt at a curd. The curd took 2 attempts to get right, but it's a nice alternative to frosting for filling between cake layers.

Cake is best beneath under a setting sun, with a drink in hand.

pineapple rum cake
1 box white (or pineapple) cake mix
3 eggs
1/4 c. light rum
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 c.  + 1/4 c. pineapple juice
1/2 c. diced or crushed pineapple
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease 3 round cake pans with butter or a non-stick spray like PAM. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until well-blended. Add oil, 1 c. pineapple juice, and rum and beat on low for 1 minute. Slowly add cake mix into wet ingredients and beat on a high speed for 1-2 minute until batter is smooth. Add diced pineapple and press into batter with a rubber spatula until integrated.

Pour batter into greased pans until each is 2/3 of the way full. Bake according to the times on the back of the mix box, depending on the types of pans you are using. Use a toothpick to check doneness - if the toothpick comes out clean from the center of the cakes, remove from oven and set on cooling rack.

While cakes are still warm in the pans, use a toothpick to prick a dozen holes in the top of each. Run a knife or spatula around the edges to loosen from the pan. Use a pastry brush to paint  the remaining 1/4 c. of pineapple juice onto the tops and sides of the cakes. Bake cakes in the oven for another 2-3 minutes, remove, and let cool completely.

Use a knife or spatula to loosen the cakes and remove from pans. If the cakes are uneven or rounded at the top, use a serrated knife to level each cake so they are about the same thickness and are flat.

rum frosting
1/2 c. butter or shortening
1 tsp. lime juice
5 tbsp. dark rum
4 c. powdered sugar
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In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, lime juice, and rum until blended. Slowly add in sugar and continue to mix on high until frosting forms. Add more rum or water if frosting is too thick.

orange triple sec curd
3 eggs
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 c. orange juice
1/4 c. Triple Sec liquer
4 tbsp. butter, room temperature
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I had never made curd before so I follow this recipe very closely, substituting orange juice and Triple Sec for the lemon juice.

Heat water in a saucepan until boiling and reduce to a simmer. Place a large stainless steel bowl on top of the saucepan (creating a double boiler) and whisk together eggs, sugar, orange juice, and Triple Sec. Stir constantly for 10-15 minutes until the mixture has thickened and will coat the back of a spoon. Remove the mixture from heat and pour through a strainer/sieve to remove any lumps.

Cut in butter, whisk mixture until smooth, and let refrigerate overnight to thicken completely.

assembly
This version is made with 3 layers of cake filled with 2 layers of rum frosting and orange curd. After cakes have cooled, use a serrated knife to level each so they are about the same thickness and flat. Fill a large pastry bag with a star tip (I used 1M) and rum frosting, and frost an outer ring on top of 2 of the 3 layers of cake - these will act as a rim to keep the curd from spilling over the edges.

Use a spoon to 'fill' these 2 cake layers with orange curd. Place one curd-filled cake layer on top of another, top with the third unfilled cake layer, and frost entire cake with a crumb coat.

In a small bowl, mix remaining frosting with brown food coloring to make a light brown/tan color for the bamboo. Fill a pastry bag or parchment triangle with a small/medium round tip (I used #8) and the brown icing. Using long straight strokes, pipe out continuous 'stems' of bamboo up the sides and across the top of the cake, applying more pressure once or twice per stem so that it bulges like the node. You can also pipe a bamboo border around the edge of the cake.

Here's the fun part: to make the bamboo more bamboo-like, mix brown food coloring and 1-2 tsp of rum in a small dish.  Use a paintbrush to apply the brown/rum mixture as a wash on the frosting bamboo on the cake, once it has hardened a bit, to create a warm woody texture.

For the look of the lettering, add more brown food coloring to remaining frosting. Use a medium round tip (#10) to pipe out stick-like letters and paint with dark brown/black and rum mixture for a dark Tiki wash.

mai tai cupcakes
For cupcake versions, use an ice cream scoop to fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with pineapple cake batter. Bake for 24-28 minutes at 350 degrees, testing doneness with a toothpick.

Use a spoon or melon baller to scoop a chunk of cupcake out and use a spoon to fill cavity with orange curd. Fill a pastry bag with a 1M star tip and rum frosting. Starting on the outside, swirl frosting to a peak in the center and garnish with rum and pineapple slices.