Cannoli Cake

It’s Robby’s Birthday . . . . Well OK, it WAS Robby’s birthday, I am behind. 

So in honor I cooked and cooked and baked and baked until I collapsed.

Well OK, I didn’t collapse.

Every year for his birthday I have his family over for dinner and make lasagna.  While this may sound boring I go the whole nine yards and make the pasta and even the ricotta cheese from scratch.  Since I was already making the fresh ricotta cheese for the lasagna Robby was nice enough to suggest that I make a cannoli cake. 

I have made this cake many times over the years and while it is relatively easy, and everyone loves it, there are some temperamental aspects to it.

The main problem is that since I was so busy and overwhelmed I took barely any pictures while I was making the cake.  I am still getting used to this blogging commitment.

However I will go ahead and post it anyway . . . .

THE CAKE

·         6 large eggs, separated

·         1 cup sugar (divided)

·         3/4 cup all-purpose flour

·         1 tablespoon baking powder

·         1/2 teaspoon salt

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375°F

Beat egg whites until soft peaks form.   Gradually sprinkle in 1/2 cup sugar, beating until sugar completely dissolves and whites stand in stiff peaks.  Transfer to another bowl.

Using the same beaters beat egg yolks, flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, and vanilla at low speed.  Add 2 Tablespoons water and mix until blended. Gently fold beaten egg whites into egg-yolk mixture, one-third at a time.

Spoon batter into two 8” cake pans lined with parchment.  

Bake 20 minutes until cake is golden and top springs back when lightly touched.  Cool for 5 min then invert to fully cool.

  

HOME MADE RICOTTA FILLING

·         1 gallon whole milk

·         4 tablespoons lemon juice

·         2 cups heavy cream

·         8 ounce cream cheese, softened

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         1 cup confectioners' sugar

·         4 oz. chopped dark chocolate

·         Grated peel of 1 large orange

Ok don’t be afraid . . . . Making ricotta cheese is easy, I promise!  If you realllllly really think you can’t do it then FINE be boring and just buy a tub at the grocery store.

MAKN THE CHEESE: (only 4 steps!!)

Step 1 . . .  heat the milk and cream in a large pot until it just starts to boil.  Add 1 tsp salt.  Stir frequently with spatula while heating making sure to scrape at bottom of pot.

Steps 2 . . . add the lemon juice.

Step 3  . . . simmer whole stirring for 2 minutes or until you see it separates into curds.

Step 4 . . . strain and cool

The dirty strainer :-(

(this is the only pathetic picture that I

remembered to take of the cheesemaking process . . .sorry!)



(see sooooo easy!)

Beat cream cheese; add ricotta, sugar, and vanilla.  Fold in grated orange peel and chopped chocolate.

 Refrigerate until ready to assemble cake.

WHIPED CREAM FROSTING

·         3 tablespoons butter, softened

·         3 tablespoons milk

·         2 cups confectioners' sugar

·         1  teaspoon vanilla extract

·         2 cups whipping cream

Beat butter, milk, sugar, and vanilla extract until smooth. 

 In separate bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks form; fold confectioners’-sugar mixture into whipped cream.

CAKE SYRUP

·         Scant ¼ cup water

·         ¼  cup Triple Sec

Mix together  . . . duh.

ASSEMBLE THE CAKE

Cut each of the cooled 8” cakes in 1/2 .

Lay one cake layer on plate. Brush with cake syrup.

Add thick layer of ricotta filling on top.

Add cake layer on top press down lightly till cake layer is even/flat.  Brush with cake syrup.

Add thick layer of ricotta filling on top.

Repeat till all layers are done.

Spread any remaining ricotta filling along edges of cake to form smooth surface.

Cover entire cake with whipped cream frosting.

Let 4 year old throw a bunch of orange zest and chocolate curls on top.



This is the decorating culprit,  enjoying the fruits of her labor!

(How come she got the first piece Uncle Bobby?) 



 Up next . . . .hmm i don't know yet . . .

If you have any sugesstions, leave a comment below . . . .

5 Yiers of Bliss Cake

No the title of the blog is not a typo.
4 Tier cake + 5 years of (marital) bliss  = 5 Yiers of Bliss Cake

Too bad the wedding cake pans my mom recently gave me only have 4 tiers instead of the required 5, which would make more sense.

Annnnnnnyway . . . here it is . . .

After all of these blogs i have been doing for other people (i.e. Abby or My Mom) finally Robby my darling and the namesake of this blog gets his very own cake.  All for him and no one else.  (Ok well i get some too as it is OUR anniversary.)

That's right folks 5 years of wonderful marriage to my honey bunny.

In honor the wedding theme I wanted to used these tiered cake pans I have.

I felt like chocolate was appropriate so I used a chocolate sour cream cake with a raspberry mouse filling and a chocolate ganache.  Sounds romantic right?  Oh and to top it off the whole thing is soaked in copious amounts of blackberry brandy!

Robby Loves it!.

SOUR CREAM CHOCOLATE CAKE

2 cups cake flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 ounces Godiva dark chocolate coarsely chopped

1 cup unsalted butter

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

3 large eggs, at room temperature

3/4 cup sour cream, at room temperature

1 cup milk, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Prepare pans as per perfect cake liner blog.

(NOTE: The directions are written as if you were using two 9" cake pans to make one whole cake instead of the 4 tiers as i did)

  

 

Since this cake was for my honey bunny i used this chocolate bunny i had left over from Easter.

Smash the Bunny!

Place smashed/chopped chocolate in microwave-safe bowl.

Microwave for 30 seconds.

Stir.

 

Repeat until smooth.  Set aside

Beat butter and shortening in mixing bowl until creamy

Add brown sugar.

Continuing to beat, gradually add granulated sugar.  Beat 3 minutes more.

Beat in vanilla.

  

Add eggs one at a time while beating.

Add sour cream and beat until smooth.

Beat in melted chocolate until blended.

At low speed, beat in flour mixture alternating with milk.

Divide batter between prepared pans and smooth top.

Bake 35-40 minutes or until center springs back when gently pressed with a finger.

Cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes then invert to cool completely.

CHOCOLATE BLACKBERRY MOUSSE

12 oz dark chocolate chopped

2 pints fresh blackberries

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 large egg yolks

1 pinch salt

2 cups heavy cream, divided

3 tbs blackberry brandy

1 tablespoon Grand Marnier

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

(Unfortunately i took no pictures while i was making the mouse . . sorry)

Cook blackberries and sugar over medium heat until sugar dissolves.

Strain berry mixture through fine metal screen, discarding seeds.

Pour hot puree over chopped chocolate.  Let site for a minute then stir till smooth.

Whisk egg yolks and 3 tbs sugar.

Heat 1 cup cream in sauce pan.

Temper the eggs by whisking in a small amount of hot cream.

Combine all egg and cream.

Continue cooking over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens.

Pour hot cream over chocolate berry mixture.  Stir till smooth.

Add liquor and vanilla.

Refrigerate till cold.

Whip remaining cup of cream and gently fold in cooled custard.

Refrigerate until ready to assemble cake.

ASSEMBLE THE CAKE

 cooled cakes

blackberry mouse

1/4 cup blackberry brandy

1/4 cup water

2tbs sugar

(Unfortunately i took no pictures while i was assembling. . sorry)

Cut each of your cake layers in half using long knife.

Place one layer on plate.

Combine brandy, sugar, and water in bowel.

Soak cake layer with 1/4 of brandy-water.

Spread evenly with mousse.

Add next layer soak and spread.

Do not put mouse on top layer.

Refrigerate the cake while you make the ganache.

GANACHE

 8 oz dark chocolate chopped

1 cup heavy cream

2 tbs light corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla

Heat cream in saucepan.

Pour over chopped chocolate.

Let stand 5 minutes then stir till smooth.

Add syrup and vanilla.

Wait till ganache is just a little warmer then room temp.

.

Take the cakes out of the fridge and place them on a cooling rack with plates underneath

Pour ganache over top.

Smooth quickly with spatula to make sure chocolate completely covers the sides.

The excess ganache will drip down onto the plate underneath.  If you need more simply scrape off the plate and pour more on top.

Beware that if the ganache cools it will be lumpy and loose it's sheen.  Just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds.

If you made one big cake you are done.  I however had 3 more layers to cover.

I simply followed the same procedure above, put them all in the fridge

Then i used these delicious Belgian chocolate studs i got at the cake decorating store around the bottom of each layer.

voilà

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY ROBBY!

(NOTE THE FLOWERS IN THE PICTURE AT THE TOP?  ROBBY BROUGHT A PICTURE OF MY BOUQUET TO THE FLOWER SHOP AND HAD THEM RECREATE IT FOR OUR ANNIVERSARY!!)