Just Baking

I’m competitive.  And baking is my sport.  I take to the kitchen like an Olympian to a gym, knowing that I must challenge myself each time if I want to sustain that culinary endorphin rush.  So each holiday season, I strive to find a new recipe that will wow and vavoom the dessert socks off of everyone.  It’s not always the most difficult recipe, but if it’s not elaborate and time consuming, it doesn’t even enter into the running.

This year it was a chocolate chestnut cake from the pages of a 2005 issue of Bon Appétit magazine (and found online at http://www.epicurious.com/).  Chestnuts just say ”Christmas”, and this dessert is well worth any spectacular holiday celebration.  The recipe itself is nothing any comfortable pastry chef would wrinkle an eyebrow at.  The steps are relatively simple, though abundant.  It’s the final presentation and knock-out taste that makes it worthy of any discerning baker’s repertoire.

It starts with a cake, baked in an elegant square shape with chestnut spread in the batter.  Sweetened chestnut spread, to be precise, which eluded me completely despite my gallant efforts to track it down at every gourmet shop within a fifty mile radius.  I found it online through one purveyor but the astronomical shipping charge rendered it ridiculous, so instead I craftily pureed my own.  Boiling jarred chestnuts in a little water with a few tablespoons of sugar, then pureeing them with vanilla extract in my faithful food processor did the trick.  The chestnut puree imparts a light, sweet flavor to the cake and helps achieve a delicate crumb.  But that’s only the foundation.

The cake then gets brushed with a sinful brandy syrup and swathed in a delicious chocolate-caramel ganache (one of the best I’ve had).  Spend the extra money on a good milk chocolate; it really makes a difference.  Chopped chestnuts are sprinkled on top of the filling before another layer of cake is added.  Then the whole cake is gloved in a dark chocolate glaze for a sophisticated finish.  As the recipe suggests, I decorated the border of the cake with whole chestnuts, but again had an ingredient issue when I decided that spending nearly thirty dollars on edible gold leaf was not worth it.  I purchased edible gold glitter instead and it was a nice, cost effective substitute.  Just one tip – if you do use the edible glitter, wipe the chestnuts dry before you sprinkle, as the moisture will cause the glitter to melt and the result is not so pretty (speaking from unfortunate experience).

Ultimately, this is a cake even a novice chef could handle.  The biggest commitment is the time it takes for creation and assembly, but based on the heavenly “mmmms” resounding from the dessert recipients, I’d attest that it’s a worthwhile cause.

 DARK CHOCOLATE-CARAMEL CAKE WITH GOLD-DUSTED CHESTNUTS

Caramel ganache

9 ounces high-quality milk chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina), finely chopped
3 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (21/4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

Cake

2 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups (packed) golden brown sugar, divided
4 large eggs, separated
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sweetened chestnut spread with vanilla
1/4 cup whole milk

Brandy syrup

1/4 cup brandy
2 tablespoons golden brown sugar
24 jarred peeled whole chestnuts; 12 coarsely chopped, 12 left whole (about 7.25 ounces)

Glaze

1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

Edible gold dust

For ganache:

Combine milk chocolate and bittersweet chocolate in medium bowl. Stir sugar, 2 tablespoons water, and cinnamon stick in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup turns deep amber, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 6 minutes (time will vary depending on size of pan). Add cream and salt (mixture will bubble vigorously). Bring caramel to boil, whisking until smooth and caramel bits dissolve, about 1 minute. Discard cinnamon stick. Pour hot caramel over chocolate; stir until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Let stand until completely cool, stirring occasionally, about 1 hour.

Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in chocolate mixture in 4 additions. Cover and refrigerate ganache overnight.

For cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour 9×9x2-inch metal baking pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in 1 cup brown sugar, then egg yolks and vanilla extract. Beat in chestnut spread, then milk. Sift dry ingredients over and gently mix together. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Add remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar and beat until stiff but not dry. Fold egg whites into batter in 3 additions.

Transfer batter to pan. Bake cake until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 48 minutes. Cut around cake to loosen. Cool cake completely in pan on rack.

For syrup:

Stir brandy and brown sugar in small bowl until sugar dissolves.

Turn cake out onto work surface. Peel off parchment. Using long serrated knife, cut cake horizontally into 3 equal layers. Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on 9×9-inch cardboard square. Brush cake layer with half of brandy syrup. Spread with 1 cup ganache. Sprinkle with half of chopped chestnuts. Top with second cake layer, cut side up. Repeat with remaining brandy syrup, 1 cup ganache, and remaining chopped chestnuts. Top with remaining cake layer, cut side up. Spread remaining ganache over top and sides of cake. Place cake rack on sheet of foil; place assembled cake on rack. Chill while preparing glaze.

For glaze:

Bring cream, sugar, and 1/4 cup water to boil in heavy medium saucepan, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add chocolate and whisk until melted and glaze is smooth. Let cool until thick but still pourable, about 4 hours.

Pour glaze atop cake, spreading evenly over sides. Chill until glaze sets.

Brush 12 whole chestnuts with gold dust. Arrange chestnuts across top of cake. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let cake stand at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours at room temperature.) Serve cake at room temperature.

Makes 16 servings.