April 20, 2021

Mexican Chocolate Cake ~ #TheCakeSliceBakers

This Mexican Chocolate Cake is cuteness overload and the Chocolate 
Ganache Frosting is the crowing glory of this fun-size cake.




The Cake Slice Bakers are baking through Little Everyday Cakes by Candace Floyd in 2021. This is our fourth month of baking through this book, which focuses on recipes for smaller cakes, meant to be enjoyed in one or two sittings, therefore eliminating waste.






We are are a group of dedicated bakers who all love cake. Each year we choose a new cake-centric cookbook and bake our way through it. Every month we are given 3 choices and on the 20th day of each month we reveal what we have chosen on our blogs. This month's choices were Mexican Chocolate Cake, Tiny Tres Leches Cake and Lime Cake. I admit that I picked the Mexican Chocolate Cake because it is baked in 2 6-inch cake pans - how cute is that.





This cake really is cuteness overload and chocolatey goodness that is beyond delicious. Both the cake and the ganache are super easy to prep, but I learned the hard way that I should have prepped the ganache first so that it had a chance to cool whilst the cake is baking,  and I have noted this in the instructions.  My cakes had little domes on top that I had to level before frosting the cake, but I never see this as a problem as it means I can snack as I go.  The cake has a nice deep chocolate flavor with a hint of cinnamon.  It is up to you if you want to add a little cayenne to add some extra spice. The frosting is one that I could have eaten with a spoon, but I cannot confirm or deny that I did this.  Oh, OK I totally did this and I have no regrets.






Mexican Chocolate Cake

Ingredients
Cake ~
  • 150g (1½ cups) all-purpose flour
  • 50g (7 tablespoons) unsweetened cocoa
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 155 ml (⅔ cup) water
  • 55 ml (¼ cup) whole milk, room temp
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 85g (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
  • 105g (½ cup packed) brown sugar
  • 100g (½ cup) granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs, room temp
Chocolate Ganache Frosting ~
  • 230g (8 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 340 ml (1½ cups) heavy cream
  • 20 ml (2 tablespoons) coffee liqueur such as Kahlua

Preparation
Cake ~
  1. Make ganache as it requires time to cool (see instructions below).
  2. Preheat oven to 165℃ (325℉). 
  3. Spray two 15.25cm (6 inch) round cake pans with baking spray.
  4. Line pans with parchment paper, and spray parchment paper with baking spray; set aside.
  5. Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cayenne.
  6. Combine water, milk and vanilla.
  7. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer, and beat until creamy.
  8. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy.
  9. Add the eggs, one at a time, making sure to beat well after each addition.
  10. Reduce speed to low and add the flour mixture and milk mixture a little at a time, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, beating until just until smooth. 
  11. Pour batter into the prepared pans and smooth the tops.
  12. Bake cakes for 30-35 minutes or until a tester inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
  13. Place pans on wire rack and let cakes cook 10 minutes.
  14. Remove the cakes from the pans and let cook, top sides up, completely.
  15. To frost the cake place one layer on cake stand or plate. 
  16. Spread one-third of the frosting on top, place second cake layer on top and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake.
Chocolate Ganache Frosting ~
  1. Place the chocolate chips in a mixing bowl along with the coffee liqueur.
  2. Heat the cream in a saucepan just until bubbles begin to form around the edges.
  3. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips and let stand 10 minutes.
  4. Whisk the mixture until the chips are completely melted and mixture is smooth. 
  5. Let cool completely (refrigerate to speed up cooling process if needed).
  6. When mixture is cool, beat with an electric mixer on high-speed until fluffy. 
  7. Beat in the vanilla.




Each month The Cake Slice Bakers are offered a selection of cakes from the current book we are baking through. This year it is Little Everyday Cakes by Candace Floyd. We each choose one cake to bake, and then on the 20th - never before - we all post about our cake on our blogs. There are a few rules that we follow, but the most important ones are to have fun and enjoy baking & eating cakes!

Follow our Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest pages where you can find all of our cakes, as well as inspiration for many other cakes. You can also click on the thumbnail pictures below to take you to each of our cakes. If you have a blog and are interested in joining The Cake Slice Bakers and baking along with us, please send an email to thecakeslicebakers at gmail dot com for more details.

The Cake Slice Bakers also have a new Facebook group called The Cake Slice Bakers and Friends. This group is perfect for those who do not have a blog but want to join in the fun and bake through this book.





It is a new year and a new book - Little Everyday Cakes - and our choices for April 2021 were ~ 

Mexican Chocolate Cake

Tiny Tres Leches Cake

Lime Cake



    5 comments:

    1. Very cute cake! I like snacking on the cake domes too.

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    2. That cake texture looks like PERFECTION!

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    3. It turned out perfectly. Pretty as a picture.

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    4. Haha, I totally ate the frosting with a spoon too. Such a cute little cake :)

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    5. What a cute petite cake. A couple of finger licks of the ganache would be hard to resist. It looks perfecct!

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