Title: Chocolate Wreath Cake
Categories: Chocolate Cake
Yield: 12 Servings
| 3 | c | All-purpose flour |
| 1 | tb | Baking powder |
| 1 | tb | Baking soda |
| 1 1/2 | ts | Salt |
| 3 | c | Sugar |
| 3 | c | Water |
| 6 | oz | Semisweet chocolate; finely chopped |
| 1 | lb | Unsalted butter; softened |
| 3 | | Large eggs; lightly beaten |
| 2 1/4 | c | Confectioners' sugar |
| 1/2 | ts | Vanilla extract Few drops green food colori |
| | | Fresh raspberries, dried cranberries, or cherries, for garni |
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 10-inch tube pan with a
nonremovable bottom. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking
powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium pot, combine the sugar and water
and bring them to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the
chocolate and 1 stick of butter. When the chocolate and butter have
completely melted, whisk the mixture to combine completely. Whisk in the
beaten eggs. Pour about half the chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients
and whisk vigorously to thoroughly combine the ingredients and remove any
lumps. Working quickly, add the remaining chocolate mixture and whisk to
combine. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 60
minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let
the cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to
cool completely. In a medium bowl, cream together the remaining 3 sticks of
butter and the confectioners' sugar, until light and fluffy. Remove 1/3 cup
of the icing, place in a small bowl, and color it with a few drops of the
green food coloring. Put the remaining icing in a pot, add the vanilla.
Over low heat, stir the icing until it becomes a pourable consistency. (If
it overheats, causing the butter to spearate, put the icing in the
refrigerator to chill and stir to bring it back together.) Pour the icing
over the cooled cake so that it drips down the center and outside. Cluster
the red berries in groups of 3 on top of the cake. Fill the green icing
into a pastry bag fitted with a leaf tip and pipe a few leaves around each
cluster of berries. Serves 12 to 16. Source:"An Edible Christmas" (A
Treasury of Recipes for the Holiday) by Irena Chalmers. Reformatted by:
CYGNUS, HCPM52C