Glazed Chocolate Cake

Happy Valentine's Day! Do you have any fun plans for tonight? Unfortunately my boyfriend and I  have to push back our Valentine's Day plans a few days because of busy work schedules. But that didn't mean I had to push back my plans to make a decadent chocolate cake for the day. I know there are a lot of people out there who don't like the idea of Valentine's Day. But how can you argue against a holiday that gives you the opportunity to eat chocolate? Not that I have a problem doing that any other day.

I actually first made this cake for my boyfriend's birthday, which we celebrated just a few days before Valentine's Day. He asked for a chocolate cake and this recipe is what I came up with. The cake is moist and full of chocolate flavor. It is then topped with a rich and decadent chocolate glaze. While it is not necessary a show stopping layer cake, sometimes a simple chocolate cake does the trick and is exactly what you have in mind.

Glazed Chocolate Cake
from Gourmet, December 2010 (via Tracey's Culinary Adventures)

Cake:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature

Glaze:
3.5 oz bittersweet chocolate (60% or less cacao), finely chopped
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tsp light corn syrup

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray and line with a parchment round. Also spray the parchment round with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Using a stand mixer, beat together the butter and brown sugar until light and creamy or for about 3-4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until fully incorporated after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and continue to mix until combined. With the mixer on low speed, alternatively add the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the milk in 2 additions.  Mix until just combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and allow the cake to cool for 5 minutes or so. Then turn the cake out onto the rack and allow it to cool completely.

While the cake is cooling, add the chopped chocolate to a small heatproof bowl. Pour the cream into a small small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Slowly pour the cream into the bowl of chocolate. Let sit for about 1 minute before whisking. The gently whisk the mixture until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Add the corn syrup and whisk until combined. Allow the glaze to cool completely, occasionally stirring the mixture as it does.

Pour the glaze onto the center of the cooled cake. Use an offset spatula to spread the glaze evenly on top of the. Add sprinkles or fresh fruit for garnish.

Enjoy :)

Apple Cream Cheese Bundt Cake with Praline Frosting

My boyfriend and I finally had the chance to go apple picking this past weekend. But where did all of the apples go? I guess we should have gone earlier in the season because most of the trees were bare. One woman told us to head over to braeburn apples, insisting that they were great for baking. There were definitely tons of braeburn apples left to pick, but we were the only people on that side of the farm. No wonder she wanted us to head over in that direction. 

Either way, my boyfriend found some good braeburn apples to pick. He did a great job climbing trees and finding apples for me to bake with. Then we walked around the rest of the farm and found a few more apples to pick. Definitely not a lot of good choices though.

In the end, I made the most of our braeburn apples and whipped up this apple cream cheese bundt cake with praline frosting. I had been eyeing this recipe for a long time and am glad I finally had the opportunity to make it. The cake is packed with chopped apples, pecans and a thin layer of cream cheese filling. It is the perfect cake to celebrate fall flavors. Hope you enjoy friends! 

Apple Cream Cheese Bundt Cake with Praline Frosting

Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker (originally adapted from Southern Living)

Cream Cheese Filling:

8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature

1/2 stick of unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 egg, at room temperature

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 tsp vanilla

Cake:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp allspice

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3 eggs

1/4 cup canola oil

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce

3 apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped

1 cup pecans, toasted slightly and finely chopped

Praline Frosting:

1/2 light brown sugar

1/2 stick unsalted butter

3 tbsp whole milk

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 12 cup bundt pan and set aside.

Cream Cheese Filling: 

Using an electric or stand mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter and sugar on medium speed until combined. Add the egg, flour and vanilla, beating until fully incorporated. Set aside.

Cake: 

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, spices, baking soda and salt. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, canola oil, applesauce and vanilla. Pour into the flour mixture and whisk using fully incorporated.

Gently mix in the apples and pecans. 

Pour 2/3 of the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Top with the cream cheese filling, making sure that it is spread out evenly in the pan. With a knife, gently swirl the cream cheese filling a few times. 

Pour remainder of the cake batter on top of the pan. Make sure the batter completely covers the cream cheese filling.

Bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. 

Transfer pan to a cooling rack and cool for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto the cooling rack and allow it to cool completely. 

Praline Frosting:

In a 2-quart saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter and milk over medium heat. Bring the mixture to a boil, whisking the whole time. After 1 minute, remove the pan from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Slowly whisk in the powdered sugar until mixture is fully incorporated and smooth. 

Pour frosting over the top of the cake and add extra pecans on top. Allow frosting to set for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Enjoy :)