Chocolate Malt Cake Doughnuts With White Chocolate Drizzle Food

MALTED CHOCOLATE DRIP CAKE

Steps:

• First make the malt sponges. Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease and line the bases of 2 x 20cm cake tins with baking parchment. Put the butter and sugar in a large bowl and whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well between each addition. Tip the flour, malt and baking powder into the bowl with ¼ tsp salt and fold together, then add the yogurt and vanilla, and give everything a final stir. Divide the cake mixture between the 2 tins, level the tops and bake on the middle shelf for 25-30 mins or until a skewer pushed into the centre of the cakes comes out clean. Cool for 10 mins, then remove from the tins, peel off the baking parchment and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Wash the tins.
• Now make the chocolate sponges. Grease and line the base of the tins as before and boil the kettle. In the same bowl (don't worry about washing it), cream the butter and sugar as before, adding the eggs, one at a time, and mixing until combined. Sift in the flour, cocoa and baking powder with ¼ tsp salt. Fold the mixture together, then add the yogurt, melted chocolate and 100ml boiling water. Stir until combined, then divide between the tins. Bake for 25-30 mins, testing with a skewer as before. Cool in the tins for 10 mins, then turn out, remove the baking parchment and cool completely. The sponges can be made up to 2 days before being iced, cooled and wrapped tightly in cling film.
• Make the honeycomb. Grease a baking tray with a little butter or oil. Put the sugar and golden syrup in a large pan. Warm over a medium heat and leave to bubble to a liquid caramel, but don't stir. When you're happy with the colour (the darker it gets, the more intense the flavour will be), add the bicarbonate of soda and quickly stir into the syrup. Before the bubbles die down, pour the foaming mixture onto the baking tray, then set aside for 30 mins to cool and firm up.
• Make the icing. In your largest mixing bowl, beat the butter with half the icing sugar, the malt and vanilla until smooth. Add the remaining icing sugar and the cream cheese, and beat again until well combined - don't overmix or the icing may become runny.
• You're now ready to assemble. Put one of the sponges on a cake stand or cake board, sticking it down with a small blob of icing. Use ¼ of the icing to stack the cakes, alternating between the malt and chocolate sponges. Place the final sponge on top, flat-side up. When assembled, use a palette knife to cover the entire cake with a thin layer of the icing, filling any gaps between sponges, but don't worry about completely covering the sponges at this stage. This is called a crumb coat and ensures that your final layer is crumb-free. Make space in your fridge and chill the cake for 30 mins to firm up the icing.
• Once the icing is chilled, use the remaining icing to completely cover the cake. This is easiest if you pile the icing on top of the cake, then use a palette knife to ease it over the edge and down the sides. You can make it as smooth or as rough as you like. Chill for another 30 mins.
• Make the drizzle. Meanwhile, put the dark chocolate in a bowl and heat the cream in a small pan until just steaming. Pour the cream over the chocolate and leave to melt for 5-10 mins. Stir to make a glossy ganache, then set aside to firm up a little - you want the ganache to be pourable but not too runny, to make drizzly droplets down the side of the cake.
• When the ganache is the correct consistency, remove the cake from the fridge and spoon the ganache over the top edge of the cake, encouraging it to drizzle down the side with your spoon - start at the back of the cake to get the hang of it. Fill in the middle of the top of the cake with chocolate too.
• Break the honeycomb into tall shards and stack them on top of the cake. Finish with whole and halved Maltesers, adding a few around the base, along with some honeycomb crumbs. The cake is best served within 2-3 hrs of assembling, but will still taste delicious for up to 3 days. Store leftovers in the fridge and allow to come back to room temperature before serving.

CHOCOLATE DOUGHNUT HOLES

Steps:

• Make the doughnut holes: Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then beat in the vanilla and orange zest until light and fluffy, about 2 more minutes. Reduce the speed to low and gradually beat in the flour mixture, alternating with the sour cream, until a sticky dough forms, about 2 minutes. Cover the dough with plastic wrap; refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight.
• Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 340 degrees F. Meanwhile, roll out the dough until 1/2 inch thick on a floured surface. (The dough will be sticky.) Cut out rounds using a 1-inch-round cookie cutter, dipping the cutter in flour each time. Place the rounds on the prepared baking sheet.
• Set a rack on another baking sheet. Working in batches, carefully fry the doughnut holes until puffed and browned, 30 seconds per side. Transfer to the rack using a slotted spoon or wire strainer.
• Make the glaze: Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Bring the heavy cream to a boil in a small saucepan and immediately pour over the chocolate; cover and let stand 5 minutes. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and smooth, then whisk in the corn syrup and vanilla. Set aside until cooled and thickened, about 5 minutes. Dip the doughnut holes in the glaze, transfer to the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with nonpareils. Let sit at least 1 hour before serving.

BAKED CHOCOLATE CAKE DONUTS

Steps:

• Chocolate Glaze: Combine chocolate, confectioners' sugar, cocoa, salt, and butter in a small bowl. Heat cream in a small pot over medium-high until bubbling around edges, 1 to 2 minutes. Pour hot cream over chocolate mixture; let stand 1 minute. Add vanilla and whisk until mixture is smooth and has the consistency of hot-fudge sauce. If it's too thick, add more cream, 1 tablespoon at a time. (Makes 1 1/3 cups.)
• Donuts: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Lightly brush 3 standard donut pans with butter. Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat butter with both granulated and brown sugars on high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating to combine after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with milk, beating to combine after each addition. Stir in chocolate chips.
• Transfer batter to a piping bag fitted with a large, plain tip (such as Ateco #807), or to a resealable plastic bag, then snip a 1/2-inch hole in one corner. Pipe 3 tablespoons batter into each cup in pans. Bake until tops spring back when lightly touched, 10 to 11 minutes. Let cool in pans 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks set in rimmed baking sheets and let cool completely.
• Dip top of each donut in glaze until halfway submerged, turning as needed to evenly coat one side. Place, glaze-side up, on racks. Top with sprinkles or shavings and let stand until completely set, about 1 hour. Donuts are best served the day they are made, but can be stored, unglazed, in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 day; glaze 1 hour before serving.

EASY BAKED CHOCOLATE GLAZED DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325°F. Lightly spray 2 doughnut pans with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, mix cake mix, Bisquick mix, sugar and salt. Stir in milk and eggs. Mix until well combined. Fill each doughnut cup three-fourths full.
• Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until doughnuts spring back when touched. Cool in pans 10 minutes; remove to cooling rack. Cool completely.
• Meanwhile, in small bowl, stir frosting and water with spoon until smooth. Dip one side of each doughnut into glaze.

CHOCOLATE-MALT CAKE

Steps:

• For chocolate-malt crumbs:
• Mix Milk Crumbs and Ovaltine in small bowl. Place white chocolate in small microwave-safe bowl. Heat in microwave in 15-second intervals just until melted, stirring occasionally. Drizzle chocolate over Milk Crumb mixture; toss to coat.
• For malt-fudge sauce:
• Place first 4 ingredients in medium bowl; set aside. Combine cream, corn syrup, and sugar in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Pour cream mixture over chocolate mixture in bowl. Let stand 1 minute, then stir until smooth. Whisk until sauce is glossy, about 1 minute. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Cool completely. Cover and chill. Rewarm just until pourable before using.
• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat three 8-inch cake pans with nonstick spray. Line bottom of each pan with parchment round; coat parchment with nonstick spray. Place chocolate in small microwave-safe bowl. Melt in microwave in 15-second intervals just until melted, stirring occasionally. Set aside. Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and coarse salt into medium bowl. Combine butter, sugar, and corn syrup in large bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment; beat on medium-high speed until fluffy and pale, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs; beat on low speed to incorporate, then increase speed to medium-high and beat until mixture is fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add melted chocolate. Beat until blended, about 1 minute. Add buttermilk, oil, and vanilla; beat on medium-high speed until pale brown, about 2 minutes. Add dry ingredients; beat on low speed just until blended, about 45 seconds. Divide batter among pans; smooth tops.
• Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool completely in pans on racks.
• Stir milk and Ovaltine in small bowl. Invert 1 cake from pan onto flat plate or tart pan bottom; peel off parchment. Place cake, top side down, in 8-inch springform pan. Brush cake with generous 2 1/2 tablespoons Ovaltine-milk mixture. Let Ovaltine-milk mixture soak into cake. Drizzle 1/3 cup malt-fudge sauce over cake; spread evenly over top. Sprinkle 1/2 cup chocolate-malt crumbs over sauce. Drizzle 1/3 cup malt-fudge sauce over crumbs. Scatter 1 cup mini marshmallows over. Using kitchen torch, toast marshmallows. Repeat with second cake layer, Ovaltine-milk mixture, malt-fudge sauce, chocolate-malt crumbs, malt-fudge sauce, and marshmallows. Remove third cake from pan; peel off parchment. Place cake, top side down, atop marshmallows on second cake layer. Brush with remaining Ovaltine-milk mixture (assembled cake will rise well above edge of pan). Cover cake with plastic wrap; chill overnight. Cover and chill fudge sauce.
• Run thin knife around sides of pan to release cake. Remove pan sides. Place cake (still on springform pan bottom) on plate. Rewarm sauce just until pourable. Pour over top of cake, allowing sauce to drip over edges. Mound handful of marshmallows in center of cake. Using kitchen torch, toast marshmallows. Sprinkle remaining malt crumbs over cake. Let cake stand at room temperature 3 hours before serving.
• Cut cake into wedges and serve.

WHITE CHOCOLATE CAKE DOUGHNUTS

Steps:

• Preheat the fryer.
• In a mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and salt together.
• In another mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar together.
• Add the melted chocolate and butter.
• Stir in the milk and vanilla.
• Slowly add the sifted flour into the egg mixture, incorporate into a soft dough.
• Cover the dough and chill for 2 hours.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.
• Roll the dough out to 1/2-inch thick.
• Cut the doughnuts out, using a 2 1/2-inch doughnut cutter.
• Fry a couple of doughnuts at a time for 1 minute on each side.
• Remove the doughnuts from the fryer and drain on a paper-lined plate.
• Place the doughnuts on a wire rack.
• Drizzle the warm doughnuts with the chocolate glaze and sprinkle with the macadamia nuts.
• Place the doughnuts on a platter.