Cooking is an art, they say; baking is a science. But baking does not have to be a mystery. With a few easy-to-learn techniques, anyone can master baking on a novice level. The holiday season is a great time to show off your prowess at the dessert table—maybe with a Sacher torte, a bittersweet chocolate cake layered with apricot preserves and topped with chocolate ganache, the gold standard for chocolate cakes in the culinary world. If you’d like to add one of these treats to your holiday celebration, check out “Chef Belinda’s tips,” below, for techniques that take your baking skills to the next level.
Sacher torte
Photo by Gina Moore
SACHER TORTE
SERVES 10–12
Cake
Butter and flour for cake pan
6 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup almond flour
¼ teaspoon salt
1½ sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
5 ounces bittersweet baking chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
Filling
1¼ cups apricot preserves
¼ cup plus 2–3 tablespoons water
2/3 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons rum
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
Unsweetened whipped cream (optional)
Chocolate pearls (optional; available at specialty foods stores or online)
Preheat oven to 375 F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, and butter the paper. Dust the pan with flour, tapping out the excess.
In a large bowl, using a handheld electric mixer, whip the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks form. Set aside. In a small bowl, sift the all-purpose flour with the almond flour and salt. Set aside. In the large bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, and beat until fluffy. Beat in the melted chocolate, then beat in the sifted flour mixture. Beat in ¼ of the whipped egg whites; then, using a spatula, fold in the rest of the whites until no streaks remain. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake the cake in the center of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then remove the ring and let the cake cool completely.
Invert the cake onto a plate, and peel off the parchment. Turn the cake right side up. Using a long, serrated knife, cut the cake horizontally into 2 even layers.
In a small, microwave-safe bowl, whisk ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons of the apricot preserves with ¼ cup water; microwave until melted.
Set a 9-inch cardboard cake round on a wire rack, and set the rack on a baking sheet. Arrange the top cake layer, cut side up, on the cake round. Brush the cake with half of the melted apricot preserves. Spread ½ cup of the unmelted apricot preserves on top.
Brush the cut side of the second layer with the remaining melted preserves and set it, cut side down, on the bottom layer. Using a serrated knife, trim the cake edges if necessary to even them out.
In the microwave-safe bowl, microwave the remaining ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons apricot preserves until melted, about 30 seconds. Press the preserves through a strainer to remove the solids. Brush the preserves all over the cake until completely coated. Refrigerate for 20 minutes until set.
In a medium saucepan, whisk the corn syrup with the rum and 2 tablespoons of water and bring to a boil. Cook until slightly thickened, about 2–3 minutes. Put the chopped chocolate in a heat-proof bowl, and pour the hot mixture on top. Let stand until melted, then whisk until smooth. If the chocolate glaze is too thick to pour, whisk in another tablespoon of hot water. Let cool to warm.
Using an offset spatula, scrape off any excess preserves from the cake so that it is lightly coated. Slowly pour half of the warm chocolate glaze in the center of the cake, allowing it to gently coat the top and spread down the sides. Spread the glaze to evenly coat the torte. Microwave the remaining glaze for a few seconds, and repeat pouring and spreading. Scrape up any excess glaze. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to set the glaze. If desired, decorate with chocolate pearls or shavings. Cut into wedges and serve with unsweetened whipped cream.
RASPBERRY TRIFLE
Photo by Belinda Smith-Sullivan
SERVES 10–12
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup water
¼ cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 cup seedless raspberry jam
4 cups raspberries
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1½ pounds store-bought or homemade pound cake
In a small saucepan, bring ½ cup of sugar, ¼ cup water and lemon juice to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar, 1–2 minutes. Let this lemon syrup cool.
In a small bowl, combine jam with 3 cups raspberries and the remaining sugar, mashing slightly. In a large bowl, whip the cream, confectioner’s sugar and vanilla to form stiff peaks. Slice pound cake into ¾-inch slices; brush each side with lemon syrup. Place one-third of the cake slices snugly in the bottom of a 4-quart trifle dish or other flat-bottomed glass bowl. Layer with one-third of the raspberry mixture and then one-third of the whipped cream. Repeat to make two more layers. Garnish with remaining raspberries. Refrigerate until ready to serve, up to 24 hours.
POMEGRANATE CHEESECAKE
Photo by Gina Moore
SERVES 8
Crust
1 cup chocolate graham crackers
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar
Filling
2 8-ounce bars cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
2 teaspoons pomegranate juice
½ teaspoon lemon zest
Glaze
¾ teaspoon unflavored gelatin
7 tablespoons pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon cornstarch
Fresh mint sprig
To make crust, in a small bowl blend chocolate graham crackers, melted butter and 1 tablespoon sugar. Press firmly into a 7-inch springform pan. Cover the bottom of the pan with foil. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 F. In the large bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add 2/3 cups sugar and the vanilla. Add eggs one at a time; scrape the sides of the bowl. Add 2 teaspoons pomegranate juice and lemon zest, and beat until smooth. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake 50–55 minutes or until barely firm. Turn off oven; leaving door ajar, cool for 1 hour. Remove from oven and cool completely in the pan. Refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours.
To make glaze, in a small bowl sprinkle gelatin over 2 tablespoons of the pomegranate juice; let stand until soft, about 10 minutes. In a small saucepan, bring 2 tablespoons sugar, 4 tablespoons juice and mint sprig to a boil. Remove mint sprig. Combine remaining tablespoon of juice and the cornstarch in a small bowl; stir until dissolved. Whisk into boiling juice. Remove from heat, and stir in softened gelatin. Cool to lukewarm, and pour over cheesecake. Return cheesecake to the refrigerator to set, about 1 hour. Remove the side of the pan. Slide cheesecake onto serving plate. Chill until ready to serve.
MINI BAKED ALASKA
Photo by Belinda Smith-Sullivan
SERVES 8–10
Brownie
1⅓ cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
¾ cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup vegetable oil
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Filling and meringue
3 egg whites, room temperature
Pinch of salt
½ cup sugar
½ gallon strawberry ice cream, slightly melted
For the brownie, preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, combine the oil, eggs and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix just until combined; add nuts. Spread into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with nuts if desired. Bake 20–25 minutes or until a cake tester inserted near the center comes out clean. Let cool.
To make meringue, in a bowl place the egg whites and a pinch of salt. Using a mixer, beat the whites until frothy. Begin adding ½ cup of sugar, a little at a time, as you beat the whites. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate.
To assemble, cut brownies to fit the size and shape of individual serving dishes. Mound a scoop of ice cream on top of each brownie. Place the dishes on a cookie sheet, and put them in the freezer so the ice cream can harden. When ready to serve, cover ice cream with meringue, and brown meringue with a butane torch. (You can also brown meringue by preheating oven to 500 F and baking until tops brown, about 2–3 minutes. Watch closely or they will burn.) At this point, you can return them to the freezer; before serving, let soften for 10 minutes.
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BELINDA SMITH-SULLIVAN is a chef and food writer who lives in Trenton, where she is a member of Aiken Electric Cooperative. She has a culinary degree from Johnson & Wales University and is certified in wine studies from the Culinary Institute of America in Napa Valley, Calif. Her articles have been published in several regional magazines and in her blog, “The Flying Foodie.”
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