Heaven & Hell Cake
Charles Coyne
Title: Heaven and Hell Cake
Categories: Cakes, Desserts
Yield: 16 servings
*** Angel Food Cake *** 1 ts Vanilla
2/3 c Cake flour 1/2 ts Almond extract
1 c Confectioners' sugar *** Devil's Food
Cake ***
1 c Egg whites (7 or 8) 12 oz Cream cheese
1 pn Salt 1 3/4 c Confectioners'
sugar
1 ts Cream of tartar 2 c Peanut butter, at
room temp
2/3 c Sugar 1/2 c Powdered cocoa
1 ts Vanilla 1 c Strong coffee
2 lg Eggs 1/2 c Shortening
1 1/2 c Cake flour 1 1/2 c Sugar
3/4 ts Salt 3/4 c Heavy cream
1/4 ts Baking powder *** Ganache ***
1 ts Baking soda 2 lb Milk chocolate,
chopped
*** Peanut Butter Mousse *** 2 c Cream
Angel Food Cake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut parchment paper or wax
paper to fit the bottom of a 10-inch round cake pan. Do not grease the pan
or paper. Sift together the flour and confectioners' sugar. Set aside.
Place egg whites in a bowl of a heavy-duty mixer. Beat slowly while adding
the salt and cream of tartar, then continue beating for 1 minute or until
soft peaks form. Increase speed to medium; add sugar by tablespoons until
it is all incorporated, then beat 1 1/2 minutes longer. When egg whites
have stiff peaks, add vanilla and almond extract. Remove bowl from mixer
and sprinkle half of the confectioners' sugar-flour mixture over the egg
whites. Fold in with a rubber spatula; sprinkle
with remaining sugar-flour mixture and fold again, using minimum number of
strokes so that the egg whites do not deflate. Gently spoon the mixture
into prepared pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. Do
not overbake or the cake will sink in the center.
Devil's Food Cake: Sift cocoa into a mixing bowl, then drizzle in the
coffee while whisking to make a smooth paste. Set aside. Combine
shortening, sugar, vanilla and eggs, and beat for 2 minutes at medium
speed. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder
and baking soda. Alternately add the cocoa-coffee mixture and the flour
mixture to the sugar-egg mixture and continue beating until incorporated.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes.
Peanut Butter Mousse: In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the cream
cheese until light and creamy. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar,
then the peanut butter. Continue beating until thoroughly incorporated and
fluffy. If mixture looks lumpy, add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. It may
not smooth out, but it will be easier to blend. Transfer mixture to
another bowl and set aside. Place the heavy cream in the electric mixer
bowl and whip until stiff. Carefully, but thoroughly, combine both
mixtures. Set aside.
Ganache: In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to a boil and
stir in the chocolate. Remove from heat, cover pan and let the chocolate
melt. Whisk to combine thoroughly, then let cool to room temperature.
To assemble: When both cakes have cooled, carefully slice them in half
horizontally with a sharp serrated knife (the longer the better), so that
you have 4 cake layers. To slice the angel food cake, spray the knife
with oil. Holding the top of the cake with your flat, open hand, use a
sawing motion to slice through. Do not put pressure on the knige, or the
cake might tear; just let the sawing action do its work. (If the cake
sinks in the center, fill it in with some extra mousse. Make this the top
layer and it will be easier to level off.) Place one layer of the devil's
food cake on a plate and spoon a third of the peanut butter mousse on top.
Add a layer of the angel food cake, then spread another third of the
mousse. Top with remaining angel food layer. Whisk the ganache, then
spread over the cake with a spatula, frosting both the top and sides
generously. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Served
chilled; slice with a wam, wet knife. Note: This cake picks up
refrigerator odor easily, so wrap or cover it well. Any leftover cake may
be frozen, tightly wrapped, for up to a month.
Per serving: calories, 1007; fat, 64g; cholesterol, 120 mg; sodium,
472 mg; percent calories from fat, 55 percent.
Optional garnishes: Puree frozen raspberries; stain through a sieve.
Sweeten to taste with sugar. Melt milk chocolate and white chocolate.
Spread milk chocolate in a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. Scatter
spoonfuls of white chocolate around the dark, then create swirls with a
toothpick. Allow to cool, then break into pieces. Serve the cake on
drizzled raspberry sace, propped up with chunks of swirled chocolate.
~~~
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