Once a year, I make a cake, on Annual Cake Day. It’s not that I don’t like cake, but there are things that I like more, and I am not great at decorating. I know, I say this every year. On Annual Cake Day. Well, that day is today, so here it is: a Winter Magic Torte: Chocolate Rosemary Almond Cake, with Sugared Cranberries. It’s a chocolate cake with rosemary buttercream on the inside, deep rich ganache, toasted almonds and sugared cranberries on the outside. And it came out better than I expected, so at least Annual Cake Day 2021 turned out ok. Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.
Ingredients
for the Sugared Cranberries
1 cup water
1 cup fresh cranberries
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup superfine (put not powdered) sugar
for the Chocolate Cake
1 cups boiling water
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate, chopped fine (I use a food processor to make almost a powder)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
for the Vanilla Rosemary Buttercream
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon very finely chopped fresh rosemary
for the Dark Chocolate Ganache
3 tablespoons corn syrup
6 ounces heavy cream
12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups sliced natural raw almonds
You will also need: twigs of fresh rosemary
Directions
First make your sugared cranberries; these can be made a few days in advance. Combine 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1 cup of water in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer; remove from heat. Combine the sugar syrup and cranberries in a small bowl. Cover and chill for 4 hours. Drain the cranberries in a colander over a bowl, reserving liquid for another use, if desired. Place the superfine sugar in a shallow dish or rimmed plate. Add the cranberries, a few at a time, rolling to coat. Spread the sugared cranberries in a single layer on a baking sheet; let stand at room temperature 1 hour or until dry.
To make the chocolate cake. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray 2 8-inch cake rounds with baking spray; set aside. In medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at time, then stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture, ending with the flour.
Fill the prepare cake pans three-quarters full, being careful not to overfill. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cupcake comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, slice each cake round in half horizontally.
While your cake is cooling, make your buttercream frosting and ganache. Beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer in a bowl until smooth. Beat in the powdered sugar a little at a time until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, rosemary and salt; beat until fluffy. For the ganache, in a small saucepan combine the corn syrup and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and add the chocolate, then remove from the heat. Let sit for 5 minutes without stirring, then stir until smooth. Add the vanilla extract. To assemble, layer thin layers of the buttercream between the cake rounds (there will be four layers of cake). Once assembled, pour over the ganache, let drip down the sides and spread evenly. Let harden for 30 minutes in a cool area (not the refrigerator). Decorate with rosemary, almond slices and sugared cranberries. Let rest/cool for an additional hour before serving.
