Recipe: Chocolate Walnut Cakes with Vanilla Cream (using mini bundt pans)

CHOCOLATE WALNUT CAKES WITH VANILLA CREAM

FOR THE CHOCOLATE WALNUT CAKES:
Softened unsalted butter, for preparing the molds
10 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons cognac or brandy
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
3/4 cup walnuts
3 tablespoons unsweetened alkalized cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
18 tablespoons (2 sticks plus 2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, sightly softened
1 cup granulated sugar, used in two separate measurements
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 large eggs, separated (at room temperature)
FOR THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE:
10 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/4 cups heavy (whipping) cream
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 teaspoons cognac or brandy
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
FOR THE VANILLA CREAM:
2 1/4 cup heavy (whipping) cream
5 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for garnish

MAKE THE CHOCOLATE WALNUT CAKES:
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Generously brush the inside of six 1-cup fluted tube molds in a Bundt-lette cake pan with softened butter. Do not flour the molds. (Please note that the pan will be used twice. There is enough cake batter to make 9 small cakes.)

In the top of a double boiler set over hot, not simmering, water, melt the chocolate with the water and cognac. Stir occasionally until smooth. Remove the top part of the double boiler from the bottom and cool the chocolate mixture for about 10 minutes, until tepid.

In a food processor fitted with the metal chopping blade, combine the flour, walnuts, cocoa and salt. Process for 10 to 15 seconds, until the walnuts are coarsely ground. Transfer the flour/walnut mixture to a small bowl.

In a 4 1/2-quart bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the sugar for 1 to 2 minutes, until creamy. Do not overbeat. Beat in the vanilla. One at a time, add the egg yolks, beating well after each addition. Add the melted chocolate mixture and beat until blended. Scrape the bottom and side of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

In a 4 1/2-quart bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer, using the wire whip attachment, beat the egg whites at low speed, until frothy. Gradually increase the speed to medium-high and beat the whites until soft peaks start to form. One teaspoon at a time, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar and continue beating the whites until stiff, shiny peaks form.

Fold one-third of the whites along with one-third of the flour/walnut mixture into the batter. One-third at a time, gently fold in the remaining egg whites and the flour/walnut mixture.

Reserve one-third of the batter for baking the second batch of cakes. Spoon the remaining batter, dividing it equally, into the buttered molds. The batter should fill each mold to 1/4-inch below the top of the tube in each mold.

Bake the first batch of cakes for 10 to 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out with creamy moist crumbs clinging to it. Do not overbake.

Cover the top of the Bundt-lette(R) pan with a rectangular wire rack or a cutting board. Invert the pan holding the rack in place so that the hot cakes come out right side up onto the rack.

Wash the pan and cool it under cold water. Generously butter three of the 1-cup molds with softened butter. Spoon the remaining batter into the prepared molds. Bake and unmold the cakes in the same manner as the previous batch of cakes.

MAKE THE CHOCOLATE GLAZE:
Put the chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, set over medium heat, heat the cream and corn syrup, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture comes to a boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let the mixture stand for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate. Gently whisk until smooth. Stir in the cognac and vanilla.

GLAZE THE WARM CHOCOLATE CAKES:
Arrange the chocolate cakes so that they are all on one wire rack. Set the rack with the cakes over a baking sheet. Spoon the warm chocolate glaze over the chocolate cakes, coating them completely.

DECORATE THE CHOCOLATE CAKES (OPTIONAL):
If the chocolate cakes are not going to be served warm, they can be decorated in the following manner. Lift up the rack with the glazed cakes and transfer it to a clean baking sheet. Put the baking sheet with the glazed cakes in the refrigerator and chill for 5 to 10 minutes, to set the glaze.

Scrape up some of the leftover glaze from the used baking sheet and spoon some of it into a small paper cone or a pastry bag fitted with a coupling and a small writing tip (such as Ateco #1). Pipe thin lines of chocolate over the top of each glazed cake. Store the decorated glazed cakes under a glass cake dome or a large upturned bowl for up to 3 days at room temperature.

PREPARE THE VANILLA CREAM:
In a chilled 4 1/2-quart bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer, using the wire whip attachment, whip the cream, sugar and vanilla until soft mounds barely start to form and the cream is still pourable. Do not overwhip.

TO SERVE THE WARM OR COOLED CHOCOLATE CAKES:
Using a pancake spatula, transfer the cakes to the center of nine dinner plates. Carefully spoon some of the vanilla cream around the base of each cake. Put some cocoa powder in a sugar shaker. Lightly sprinkle cocoa powder over the vanilla cream and around the plate borders. Serve immediately.

Makes 9 miniature fluted tube cakes
Source: Chocolatier