Salt & Vinegar Chips Topped Chocolate Caramel Cake
Salt & Vinegar Chips Topped Chocolate Caramel Cake
Ingredients
12 oz. flour
11⁄2 lb. sugar
5 oz, cocoa powder
1 tbsp. baking powder
11⁄2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 eggs
2 egg yolks
11⁄2 cup buttermilk
1⁄2 cup sour cream
3⁄4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 tsp. vanilla
11⁄2 cup freshly brewed coffee, hot
1 cup chocolate ganache (recipe below)
1 lb. salt & vinegar shoestring chips (recipe below)
1 cup fortified caramel (recipe below)
Instructions
Prep.
1. Preheat an oven to 350°F. Prepare the cake pans by buttering the bottom and sides, lining the bottom with parchment paper and buttering the paper. Set aside.
2. Sift together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda & salt) in the bowl of a stand mixer. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, beat the eggs for about a minute until broken a part. Add the buttermilk and sour cream to the eggs. Mix until blended well.
4. With the mixer on low, pour the egg mixture into the dry ingredients slowly. Mix until the mixture is completely blended and homogeneous.
5. With the mixer on low, pour in the melted butter slowly and mix in well.
6. With the mixer on low, add the vanilla and the the hot coffee slowly, mixing well after each addition. Mix in until the batter is completely blended.
7. Divide the batter between the cake pans, filling each half way to the top. You may have a little cake batter left over.
Baking
1. Place the cake pans in the preheated oven and bake for 45 to minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out just barely clean (a few straggling crumbs is ok).
2. Remove from the oven and let the cakes cool in the pans on a cooling wrack. Allow the cakes to cool completely to the touch.
Decoration Prep.
1. In the meantime, prepare the caramel and shoestring chips according to their respective instructions (below). Just before assembling, prepare the ganache according to the instructions.
2. Level the cakes by removing the dome from the top of each layer.
Decorating
1. Place one layer on a cake stand or plate. Spread a small amount of ganache on the top layer. Place the second layer carefully on top.
2. Pour ganache over the top of the cake and gently coerce the ganache to form a smooth, even shell.
3. along the top and sides of the cake, using an icing spatula.
4. Making sure the shoestring chips are completely dry and void of excess oil, top the cake with a bird's-nest-like mound of chips.
5. Drizzle the caramel over the top of the chips and cake.
Salt & Vinegar Shoestring Chips
Ingredients
2 lb. potatoes
1⁄4 cup kosher salt
1 tbsp. vinegar
1 quart vegetable oil
Instructions
1. Using a garnishing knife on a lemon zester, slice thin strings out of the potatoes as thin as you can get them . Dry all of the shoe strings very well with paper towels and set aside.
Note: They key here is to get the shoestrings as thin as possible but making them fairly long as well. If they are not thin they will take too long to cook and may become brown during the cooking process.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the salt and vinegar (it will be damp and clumpy). Set aside.
3. Heat the vegetable oil to 350°F.
Note:I suggest using a candy or frying thermometer when heating oil as precise temperature is
required for properly frying. Too low of a temperature will require longer cooking times and soggy chips; too high of a cooking temperature will cause the chips to brown too soon.
4. Add the potato slices to the oil in small batches. Using tongs, delicately shape the shoestrings chips as they fry - clumping them together in the center will help create a nest-like shape. Fry for 1-2. minutes or until the chips just begin to turn a pale gold and appear crunchy and firm.
5. Remove the chips with a slotted spoon, letting all the excess oil drip off. Place the chips on a plate lined with paper towels or news paper just for a moment to absorb some of the excess oil.
6. Place the chips immediately in a large bowl. Add a small amount of the salt and vinegar mixture and toss until the chips are coated. If you don't want to break the nest shape created during frying, omit this step and simply sprinkle vinegar and salt over the chips.
7. Remove the chips to another plate lined with paper towels or newspaper to absorb the remaining oil and to cool.
8. Repeat steps 3 through 6 with the remaining potato slices. Let the chips cool completely before serving.
Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients
1⁄2 cup heavy cream
1⁄2 ounce corn syrup
1 ounce unsalted butter
8 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped.
Instructions
1. Place the cream, corn syrup, and unsalted butter in a heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil.
2. Once at a boil, remove from the heat and let the bubbles subside.
3. Add the chocolate to the pot and stir constantly until all the chocolate has melted and the mixture is even.
4. Let the ganache cool before using, about 30 minutes to an hour.
Fortified Caramel
Ingredients
8 ounces sugar
2 1⁄2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
1 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
2 ounces butter
Instructions
1. Place the sugar and water in a heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil.
2. Once at a boil, add the cornsyrup and stir in.
3. Watching carefully, boil until the sugar is a caramel or dark amber color. Remove from the heat immediately.
4. Carefully pour in the heavy cream while stirring. Add the butter and stir until completely melted.
5. Let the caramel cool.