Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Cake of the Week: Funfetti Cakeballs and Chocolate Espresso Cake with Cinnamon Glaze


I have a bit of a baking backlog going on here. I mention my epic weekend baking plans in Best of the Week, but then don’t deliver on the following Tuesday. What does that mean for you lucky readers today? Two for one!



We’ll go chronologically.

“Guess what I'm making this weekend? Funfetti Cakeballs!!! Oooohhhh YEAH!”

Followed by the Weekend Report:
“Oh, and the Funfetti Cakeballs were amazing. Obviously! (More on those later.)”


Easter weekend my roommates and I dyed a lot of Easter eggs (which, as the only hard-boiled-egg-eater in the house, I am still working thorough). Inspiration struck me the week before Easter – Funfetti Cakeballs! 


 
Funfetti is the only box cake I really like, and cakeballs…well duh. With some sprinkles on top they’re perfectly springy and festive!

Funfetti Cakeballs
Ingredients
1 box of Funfetti cake mix
1 lb bar of milk chocolate from Trader Joes (This was awesome! It melted really well, and is cheaper than buying fancy chocolate chips or baking chocolate. I thought I might need a bag of chocolate chips too, but they weren't necessary.)
1 tub of frosting (I used vanilla, but to make these even more Funfetti-ish I recommend Rainbow Chip.)

Directions
  • Prepare the cake mix according to box directions.
  • Let cool completely.
  • In a large bowl, crumble cake and mix in frosting.

  • Let chill for at least 30 minutes.
  • Use your hands (or spoons) to form cakeballs.
  • Chill cakeballs for at least 30 minutes.

  • In a double boiler melt chocolate (do ¼ lb at a time).
  • Using spoons roll balls in chocolate, and place on waxed paper to cool completely.
  • To store: refrigerate in a sealed container.


For a step-by-step cakeball walk-through, read this post. I’ve made Red Velvet Cakeballs, and Spice Cakeballs. This recipe is always a winner.

And now your two-for-one!
“And I made this cake (but in cupcake form) as a going away present for one of my co-workers.”


My mama saw this recipe in my “Things I Want” sidebar and says it’s the BEST chocolate cake ever. So on my cake-loving co-worker’s last day, I brought him some cupcakes.

Chocolate Espresso Bundt Cake (from Sweetapolita)
Ingredients
8 oz butter (2 sticks/1 cup)
1/2 cup high quality Dutch process cocoa, such as Cacao Barry Extra Brute
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder dissolved into 3/4 cup water
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Method
Preheat oven to 350° F. Butter and flour a 10-12 cup bundt pan or Kugelhopf pan. (Or line cupcake tins)
Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium-low heat; add cocoa, stirring until smooth. Whisk in the espresso water and remove from heat. Add the sugar, sour cream, vanilla, and eggs to the warmed cocoa mixture and whisk until smooth. In a medium bowl combine the flour, sbaking soda, and salt. Add all at once to the first mixture, whisking until well blended.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until it feels firm to the touch and has slightly pulled away from the sides of the pan. (For cupcakes, cook 20 minutes) Cool in pan on a rack for 20 minutes. Carefully loosen the cake with a knife and invert onto a large plate.
Dark Chocolate Cinnamon Glaze
4 oz high quality bittersweet chocolate (I use Callebaut), coarsely chopped
1/3 cup unsalted butter,  softened and cut into 1/2 pieces
1 1/2 teaspooons light corn syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Method
Place the chocolate, butter, corn syrup, and cinnamon in a medium heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water. Stir the mixture using a rubber spatula until melted and smooth.
Assembly
Pour warm glaze over bundt cake. Keep covered in a cake-keeper at room temperature for up to 4 days. For cupcakes: Spoon glaze over cupcakes. My glaze was pretty runny, so I waited until it cooled a bit before glazing the cupcake.