Friday, August 12, 2011

Ruffles, Ruffles, Ruffles Cake


Reminiscent of men's fashion in the 70's, this ruffle cake is deceivingly quick and forgiving. Any cake can be used for the base, so I use my favorite chocolate cake recipe. It's filled with fresh strawberries and topped with plump raspberries, comprising a beloved chocolate-and-fruit combination.



Chocolate berry ruffle cake

Ingredients:
For the cake:
* 2 cups white sugar
* 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 eggs
* 1 cup milk or water
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 1 cup boiling water
For the frosting:
* 1 cup butter, softened
* 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
* a few drops of red food coloring
For the filling and topping:
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
* 1 lb. strawberries
* raspberries to cover the cake

Directions:
For the cake:
* Preheat oven to 350F. Line the bottom of two 9-in. round pans with parchment paper. Grease and flour the sides of the pan.
* In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients. Add all wet ingredients except boiling water and mix well.
* Add boiling water and mix well. Batter will be thin.
* Pour into cake pans and bake 30-35 min, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
* Wait 10 min and invert the cake on a flat surface (cutting board or cookie sheet). Remove paper. Invert the cake on another surface so that it is right-side-up. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature.
For the frosting:
* In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle or whisk attachment, beat butter and sugar together on low speed, gradually increasing to medium-high. Beat until butter is lightened and the frosting is thick and fluffy.
* Add red food coloring, a drop at a time, until the desired shade is attained.
For the filling:
* In a large bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks are just about to form. Beat in vanilla and sugar until peaks form. Make sure not to over-beat, cream will then become lumpy and butter-like.
* Hull and halve the strawberries.
For assembly and decoration:
* Level the tops of the cakes with a long, sharp knife. Evenly place as many strawberries that will fit onto one cake. Stack the strawberries if desired.
* Spread the whipped cream filling on top of the strawberries, trying to have it go into the crevices of the berries without falling off the sides. Discard extra cream.
* Carefully invert the other cake and place it on the filling. Create a crumb layer by spreading a thin layer of frosting over the cake. Place the cake in the refrigerator for 30 min or until appropriately chilled. Leave the rest of the frosting at room temperature.
* Fill a pastry bag with a small petal tip (I used Ateco 104) with remaining frosting. Frost according to the video tutorial from My Sweet and Saucy Shop.
* Arrange the raspberries on top of the cake as shown. Serves 12-16.

3 comments:

Anne said...

I'm a sucker for anything with ruffles, and this looks delicious! <3

Natt said...

oh my gosh a new post - so exciting! I want to bake with you, Kathy. Beautiful cake.

tofuttirice said...

what?! you updated and didn't even tell me?! ... yum yum i want some.