princess ruffle cake

My friend Maddy is a hard-core Disney lover, she looks and acts like a princess (and I mean that in the best possible way), and she can beat anyone at Disney trivial pursuit. When she sings, woodland animals prance into her bedroom and do her hair. She is an excellent singer and I can’t wait for her to be famous.

Maddy had her eighteenth birthday recently, and had a princess themed birthday dinner. We all dressed up, leading to some slightly alarming Disney princesses, and ate cupcakes and pizza and Indian food. I contributed some beauty and the beast inspired cupcakes (which you’ll have to pick up my zine to see) and a flourless chocolate ruffle cake. Unfortunately I didn’t get to taste it as there was a small medical emergency; however Maddy ate it in bed the next day and informed me that it was delicious.

I made this cake as chocolaty as possible, as not only does Maddy love Disney; she also has a chocolate addiction. I made a flourless chocolate cake and two types of ganache, and a pink vanilla buttercream with ruffled frosting. Unfortunately mum rubbed my ganache recipe off the whiteboard before I had time to write it more permanently, so hopefully I remembered it correctly. I made a chocolate truffle coated with dyed green white chocolate, to be the 'pea' in one of the slices of cake, whoever found it got to be the princess. I piped a chocolate tiara with dark chocolate melts that I let harden over a cake tin to create a curve. 

{cut the cake into two layers, place the uglier one on the bottom}

Cake…
125 grams castor sugar
125 grams unsalted butter
220 grams dark chocolate
4 eggs, separated
2 rounded tablespoons cornflour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees Celsius
2. Melt butter and add sugar and chocolate, stirring until smooth
3. Beat the egg yolks and add to cooled chocolate mixture, then add cornflour, baking powder and vanilla
4. Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl until stiff. Fold a quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mix, and then gradually and gently fold through the rest of the egg whites.
5. Pour into a lined cake tin and bake for 20 minutes, reduce oven temperature to 160 degrees Celsius and bake for a further 20-30 minutes or until cooked through.

{paint the cake with peppermint syrup using a clean pastry brush}

Simple Syrup…
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup water
Peppermint extract

Method:

1. Stir sugar and water together over the stove at medium temperature until dissolved
2. Heat to 110 degrees Celsius
3. Add peppermint extract
4. Paint onto cake using a clean pastry brush

{spread the whipped ganache almost to the edge of the cake}

Whipped ganache…

100 grams dark chocolate
180 millilitres cream
35 grams butter

Method:

1. Melt butter and chocolate in the microwave at short intervals until smooth
2. Wait for chocolate mixture to cool slightly
3. Add cream and combine
4. Whip in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment until whipped and airy

{sandwich the cake carefully, make sure the ganache doesn't squeeze out the sides}

Ganache...

150 grams chocolate
120 millilitres cream
75 grams chocolate

Method:
1. Melt butter and chocolate in the microwave at short intervals until smooth
2. Wait for chocolate mixture to cool slightly
3. Add cream and combine
4. Cool in fridge until thick enough to spread and hold its shape
5. Spread over the entire cake, creating a smooth surface

{spread ganache onto the cake smoothly and evenly}

Frosting…

150 grams butter, softened
3 1/2 cups sugar
Milk
Food colouring
Vanilla extract

Method:

1. Cream butter in a stand mixer with a whisk attachment until white and fluffy

2. Add sugar and a few tablespoons of milk, if necessary

3. Mix on a low speed until ingredients are combined, then on high speed until stiff, frosting needs to hold its shape when piped

4. Add food colouring and vanilla extract

5. Fill piping bag with a rose petal piping tip and pipe ruffles on the cake