October Challenge: Layer Cake with YOUR spin on it!!!

Posted by -Raquel


OK! I was suppose to post only next month, but when Rena asked me to step in early, worked out perfect since my husband birthday was Thursday and he asked for " something different ". When he says that, it's because I always bake something at my house...I always makes everybody cakes, and it's always something chocolate or something vanilla. This time he said he wanted something different, something I never done before. So I decided to do something with passion fruit on it. I LOVE passion fruit and I never tried on a cake, so I though it would be the perfect opportunity. The recipe I picked was from a website I dearly love and I always check her recipes. I could not get a picture of my cake because it was a surprise party and I had to run off the door with the cake so my husband didn't see it!!I will be making again and I will post the picture then! I will am posting today, cause tomorrow I will be out of town and unable to post then. But for now, here is the recipe:

Three tier chocolate cake with passion fruit filling

source: http://technicolorkitcheninenglish.blogspot.com/2008/01/three-tier-chocolate-cake.html

Cake:

6 large eggs

175g (6oz) caster sugar

185g (6.5oz) plain flour

15g (0.5oz) cocoa powder

Filling:

500g white chocolate, finely chopped

400g whipping cream

¼ cup (60ml) concentrated bottled passion fruit juice

To brush the cake:

½ tablespoon concentrated bottled passion fruit juice diluted in 4 tablespoons water

Ganache:

175g (6oz) dark chocolate, 55% solids

130ml (4.5oz) double cream

Start by making the filling: place the cream in a saucepan and heat until it is nearly boiling. Remove from heat and add the chocolate all at once. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is silky and smooth. Add the juice, mix well; refrigerate it, well covered, for 4-6 hours or until set.

Make the cake: preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF. Oil a 25cm (10in) springform cake pan and line the bottom with baking paper.Put the eggs and sugar into a large heatproof bowl and, using an electric hand whisk, beat until tripled in volume, pale and thick (I used my Kitchen Aid, with the whisk attachment). The whisk should leave a trail in the mix. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and fold in with the whisk. Pour the mixture into the tin and bake on the centre shelf for around 20 minutes, until risen and springy to the touch. Let the cake cool in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack.When the cake is cool, split into three horizontally. Separate them carefully. The top of the original cake in the tin will be the top of the finished cake. Brush the bottom cake very lightly with the juice then spread over half the filling. Add the next layer and do the same with the juice and filling. Add the top.

Finish with the ganache: put the broken-up chocolate into a saucepan with the cream and heat gently. Stir well until the chocolate has melted. Spoon on to the centre of the cake a big spoonful at a time then spread with a palette knife, letting it drip down the sides. Do this at a reasonable speed as it will set in around 15 minutes.Decorate as you like.Serves 12-14