The RunAway Muffin - My Mothers Birthday May 2014
A GRAND CAKE - from “The Best of the Best” Bridge Series
This is my mothers favorite favourite of all time cakes. I will be honest and say I always had some trouble with the cake portion of this recipe.....so truthfully I have always used an old black forest cake recipe, and then filled the cake with the luscious orange grand marnier cream filling. So, below I will post the original recipe....and you can try that....or below I will include the chocolate cake recipe I use ....and you can choose.
This cake takes some time to set and develops beautiful orange flavor - so give yourself extra time, or better yet, make it the day before and let it set in the fridge overnight.
Cake
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs (i always use extra large)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups water
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
Filling
3/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon gelatin (1 pkg)
coarsely grated peel of 2 oranges (I use one large navel, or 2 small oranges)
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
2 cups whipping cream
3/4 cup icing sugar
** I have tried substituting a simple syrup of equal parts water & sugar, with some orange extract, to sprinkle on the cake layers.....but I have not tried that in the filling.....it was okay.....but you can't beat the Grand Marnier
To Make Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F or 180 degrees C
Grease 2 8” (20cm) round cake pans. Line with waxed or parchment paper and grease again. Do not skip this step - the cakes are delicate. Measure flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cocoa into a bowl and sift together. In another large bowl, cream butter using electric beater. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Add vanilla. At low speed, beat in 1/3 of flour mixture, then 1/2 of the water, beating only until mixed after each addition. Beat in another 1/3 flour, remaining water, then the rest of flour. Pour into pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until center of cake springs back when lightly touched. Let cakes cool 5 minutes, then turn out. I like to turn the pans upside down and place cakes onto a plate - and then carefully peel off the parchment paper. Let cakes cool.
1-2 hours before assembling, slice each cake in half horizontally to make 4 layers. It is easiest to do this when your cakes are cool - there are times in a panic I have put the cakes into the freezer to help cool more quickly. Place layers cut side up and sprinkle each with 1 tbsp of Grand Marnier. You may be tempted to use more - but this is plenty!!
To Make Filling
Combine juice, sugar and gelatin in a saucepan, cook over medium heat, sitrring constantly until sugar and gelatin are dissolved, about 5 minutes. Stirring constantly helps avoid little balls of chewy gelatin forming. Remove from heat and stir in orange peel and Grand Marnier. Press a sheet of waxed paper - I use saran - but I think it might stick less to the wax paper, on surface and refrigerate until cool, about 20 minutes. While cooling, whip cream, gradually add icing sugar, and whip it right up till nice and whipped. Fold your whipping cream into your cooled orange grand marnier mixture.
To assemble
Find your fanciest cake plate, place 1 layer of cake, cut side up, on plate, spoon on 1/4 of the filling and spread....i spread just about to the edges....I find the weight of the cake squishes it out nicely. Top witha nother layer and continue until all are used, ending with filling on the top. The Bridge cookbook shows this cake with some orange rind sprinkled on top which looks very elegant. I tried this time with some flowers - and it was beautiful.
Let your cake set for at least 4 hours, or overnight, If you top with flowers don’t put them on till just before serving!
The Black Forest Cakerecipe I use for a lot of my chocolate cake creations
2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
****
These ingrediants are for making a black forest cake....which is also nice too!
2 (20 ounce) cans pitted sour cherries
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch, round, cake pans; cover bottoms with waxed paper, or parched paper. I don’t have two matching 9” pans. I use almost matching 8” pans.....they make nice tall layers. And, I like to use a light baking pan... my older darker pans seem to make the cake too dark....but that’s just me.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate small bowl combine eggs, eggs, milk, oil, and 1 tablespoon vanilla, blend together and add to your dry ingrediants. Beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cake will pull away from the sides of the pan a tiny bit. Cool layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Loosen edges, and remove to racks to cool completely......from here you will be cutting these layers in 1/2, and placing cut side up, and sprinkling with the Grand Marnier. *I find these cakes come out of the pan with no problem, and I do not use parchment paper with these......I grease the pans well with shortening, and tap with flour........this is where I STOP!!! because I am not making the black forest cake***
But I have made this and it is the best Black Forest Cake Ever!! Making your own cherry filling is way way better than the canned version. I highly recommend it. This cake makes 4 layers.....when you cut the 2 layers in 1/2.....and you make a 3 layer cake, and use the 4th layer of cake to crumble and spread over your cake - looks so professional - no one will guess you made this!!
Cherry Filling:
Drain cherries, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Combine reserved juice, cherries, 1 cup sugar and cornstarch in a 2 quart saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool before using.
Frosting:
Combine whipping cream and confectioner's sugar in a chilled medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form.
With long knife, split each cake layer horizontally in half. This is much easier when your cakes are absolutely cooled - or put in the freezer if you are in a rush. Crumble one layer into crumbs; set aside. Reserve 1 1/2 cups Frosting for decorating cake; set aside. Gently brush loose crumbs off top and side of each cake layer with pasty brush or hands. To assemble, place one cake layer on cake plate. Spread with 1 cup frosting; top with 3/4 cup cherry topping. Top with second cake layer; repeat layers of frosting and cherry topping. Top with third cake layer. Frost side of cake. Pat reserved crumbs onto frosting on side of cake. Spoon reserved frosting into pastry bag fitted with star decorator tip. Pipe around top and bottom edges of cake. Spoon remaining cherry topping onto top of cake. Okay I promise to put some pictures out of this next time it on the menu - it is my husbands fav....and he has a boxing day birthday....
This is my mothers favorite favourite of all time cakes. I will be honest and say I always had some trouble with the cake portion of this recipe.....so truthfully I have always used an old black forest cake recipe, and then filled the cake with the luscious orange grand marnier cream filling. So, below I will post the original recipe....and you can try that....or below I will include the chocolate cake recipe I use ....and you can choose.
This cake takes some time to set and develops beautiful orange flavor - so give yourself extra time, or better yet, make it the day before and let it set in the fridge overnight.
Cake
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs (i always use extra large)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/3 cups water
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
Filling
3/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
3/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon gelatin (1 pkg)
coarsely grated peel of 2 oranges (I use one large navel, or 2 small oranges)
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
2 cups whipping cream
3/4 cup icing sugar
** I have tried substituting a simple syrup of equal parts water & sugar, with some orange extract, to sprinkle on the cake layers.....but I have not tried that in the filling.....it was okay.....but you can't beat the Grand Marnier
To Make Cake
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F or 180 degrees C
Grease 2 8” (20cm) round cake pans. Line with waxed or parchment paper and grease again. Do not skip this step - the cakes are delicate. Measure flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cocoa into a bowl and sift together. In another large bowl, cream butter using electric beater. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs 1 at a time. Add vanilla. At low speed, beat in 1/3 of flour mixture, then 1/2 of the water, beating only until mixed after each addition. Beat in another 1/3 flour, remaining water, then the rest of flour. Pour into pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until center of cake springs back when lightly touched. Let cakes cool 5 minutes, then turn out. I like to turn the pans upside down and place cakes onto a plate - and then carefully peel off the parchment paper. Let cakes cool.
1-2 hours before assembling, slice each cake in half horizontally to make 4 layers. It is easiest to do this when your cakes are cool - there are times in a panic I have put the cakes into the freezer to help cool more quickly. Place layers cut side up and sprinkle each with 1 tbsp of Grand Marnier. You may be tempted to use more - but this is plenty!!
To Make Filling
Combine juice, sugar and gelatin in a saucepan, cook over medium heat, sitrring constantly until sugar and gelatin are dissolved, about 5 minutes. Stirring constantly helps avoid little balls of chewy gelatin forming. Remove from heat and stir in orange peel and Grand Marnier. Press a sheet of waxed paper - I use saran - but I think it might stick less to the wax paper, on surface and refrigerate until cool, about 20 minutes. While cooling, whip cream, gradually add icing sugar, and whip it right up till nice and whipped. Fold your whipping cream into your cooled orange grand marnier mixture.
To assemble
Find your fanciest cake plate, place 1 layer of cake, cut side up, on plate, spoon on 1/4 of the filling and spread....i spread just about to the edges....I find the weight of the cake squishes it out nicely. Top witha nother layer and continue until all are used, ending with filling on the top. The Bridge cookbook shows this cake with some orange rind sprinkled on top which looks very elegant. I tried this time with some flowers - and it was beautiful.
Let your cake set for at least 4 hours, or overnight, If you top with flowers don’t put them on till just before serving!
The Black Forest Cakerecipe I use for a lot of my chocolate cake creations
2 1/8 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
****
These ingrediants are for making a black forest cake....which is also nice too!
2 (20 ounce) cans pitted sour cherries
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup confectioners' sugar
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch, round, cake pans; cover bottoms with waxed paper, or parched paper. I don’t have two matching 9” pans. I use almost matching 8” pans.....they make nice tall layers. And, I like to use a light baking pan... my older darker pans seem to make the cake too dark....but that’s just me.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a separate small bowl combine eggs, eggs, milk, oil, and 1 tablespoon vanilla, blend together and add to your dry ingrediants. Beat until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake for 35 minutes, or until wooden toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cake will pull away from the sides of the pan a tiny bit. Cool layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Loosen edges, and remove to racks to cool completely......from here you will be cutting these layers in 1/2, and placing cut side up, and sprinkling with the Grand Marnier. *I find these cakes come out of the pan with no problem, and I do not use parchment paper with these......I grease the pans well with shortening, and tap with flour........this is where I STOP!!! because I am not making the black forest cake***
But I have made this and it is the best Black Forest Cake Ever!! Making your own cherry filling is way way better than the canned version. I highly recommend it. This cake makes 4 layers.....when you cut the 2 layers in 1/2.....and you make a 3 layer cake, and use the 4th layer of cake to crumble and spread over your cake - looks so professional - no one will guess you made this!!
Cherry Filling:
Drain cherries, reserving 1/2 cup juice. Combine reserved juice, cherries, 1 cup sugar and cornstarch in a 2 quart saucepan. Cook over low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla. Cool before using.
Frosting:
Combine whipping cream and confectioner's sugar in a chilled medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form.
With long knife, split each cake layer horizontally in half. This is much easier when your cakes are absolutely cooled - or put in the freezer if you are in a rush. Crumble one layer into crumbs; set aside. Reserve 1 1/2 cups Frosting for decorating cake; set aside. Gently brush loose crumbs off top and side of each cake layer with pasty brush or hands. To assemble, place one cake layer on cake plate. Spread with 1 cup frosting; top with 3/4 cup cherry topping. Top with second cake layer; repeat layers of frosting and cherry topping. Top with third cake layer. Frost side of cake. Pat reserved crumbs onto frosting on side of cake. Spoon reserved frosting into pastry bag fitted with star decorator tip. Pipe around top and bottom edges of cake. Spoon remaining cherry topping onto top of cake. Okay I promise to put some pictures out of this next time it on the menu - it is my husbands fav....and he has a boxing day birthday....