This "experimental cake" turned to be a complete success! I wanted to make something different for a friend on his birthday, so I decided to combine two of his favorite flavors: chocolate and cream cheese icing. The result was beyond my expectations.. a very light and moist delicious cake.
I have to apologize for the pictures, but I only had a couple hours to make that cake!
Ingredients:
- For the cake:
1 pkg Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe Classic Yellow Cake Mix
1 1/3 cup of water (I substituted 1 cup of water for regular milk)
3 large eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
- For the filling:
2 cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
6 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp corstarch, sifted
1/4 tsp salt
7 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted
2 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces, at room temp
- For the icing:
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 1/2 pounds cream cheese at room temperature
1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Directions:
- For the cake:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease muffin pans or line with paper baking cups.
Combine cake mix, eggs, water and oil in large bowl. Beat at low speed with electric mixer until moistened. Beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full.
Bake at 350° F for 18 to 21 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Remove to cooling racks. Cool completely.
- For the filling:
Bring the milk to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the egg yolk with the sugar, cornstarch and salt until thick and well blended. Whisking without stopping, drizzle in about 1/4 cup of the hot milk-this will temper, or warm, the yolks so they won't curdle-then, still whisking, add the remainder of the milk in a steady stream. Put the pan over meduim heat and, whisking vigorously, constantly and thoroughly (make sure to get into the edges of the pan), bring the mixture to a boil. Keep at a boil, still whisking, for 1-2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
Whisk in the melted chocolate, and let stand for 5 minutes. Then whisk in the pieces of butter, stirring until they are fully incorporated and the chocolate cream is smooth and silky. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the cream to create and airtight seal and refrigerate the cream until chilled, or for up to 3 days. Or, if you want to coool the cream quickly, put the bowl with a cream into a larger bowl filled with ice cubes and cold water and stir the cream occasionally until it is thoroughly chilled, about 20 minutes.
- For the Cream Cheese Icing:
Combine the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mixing just until smooth.
- To Assemble the cake:
If the tops of the cake layers have crowned, use a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to even them. Slice each layer horizontally in half. Place on layer cut side down on a cardboard cake round or on a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment.
Whisk each of the creams (filling and icing) vigorously to loosen and smooth them. With a long metal icing spatula, spread enough cream cheese icing (about 1 cup) over the cake layer to cover it completely. Top the cream with another cake layer, cut side up, and cover this layer with chocolate cream (filling), making the chocolate layer about the same thickness as the cream cheese layer. Cover with a third layer, cut side up, and cover with another cup or so of the cream cheese icing. Top with the final layer of cake, cut side down, and frost the sides with the remaining cream cheese icing. Pipe the top of the cake (all the border around) with cream cheese and pour the left over chocolate filling on top. Finish decorating with cream cheese and shaved chocolate if you desire.
Source: Adapted from Baking from my home to yours from Dorie Greenspan and Barefoot Contessa Show.
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