Chocolate Sin Cake

Have you ever felt so strongly about something, so passionate about it, but you just can't get the right words out to explain it?

Nothing you say does it justice.

You think at first, this will be easy! 

But it's not. Not. At. All.

That's how i'm feeling right about now.

In one of my classes at culinary school they gave us an assignment to write an essay on why we want to be a chef, and what we want to accomplish after school. 

I was very excited about this assignment because I can sit and talk to my mom all day about what all I want to do and accomplish and so on, but once I started trying to write it down I realized this project might be harder than I thought...

You see, I love cooking. I love everything about it, I love the process of cooking, eating it, and sharing it with other people. I've become obsessed with it, I'm constantly either looking at recipes or in the kitchen. I annoy everyone around me with the talk of my moral dilemmas with trying foie gras and if I think this flavor would be good with that flavor. 

I'm a complete food nerd. I love the science behind it, I thirst for more knowledge on the subject.

But every time I try and say that in words that sound good, it just doesn't work. 

Maybe it's the perfectionist in me coming out, always criticizing myself, but it's one of the only times I get to truly explain and really try and get across how much I want to learn and do better with cooking. I don't want to sound fake or like i'm just trying to be a teachers pet.

But owell. I suppose i'll find some way to get it out sometime. 

For now I will enjoy this cake for fat tuesday. Then again for Valentines day. Or anytime.

(The cake layers had holes in the middle. Just more room for filling!)

This cake is very sinful.

Super moist chocolate cake soaked with kalhua and rum, filled with a decadent chocolate mousse, and frosted with a cocoa rum whip cream.

Yeah. Enjoy.

This cake is a chocoholics dream. Seriously, don't eat this if you don't like chocolate. It could kill.

Chocolate Sin Cake

Use your favorite Chocolate cake recipe, find mine here.

Mousse Filling

(Recipe adapted from Bobbies Baking Blog)

2 1/4 cups milk

  3/8 cup half and half

4 egg yolks

 3/8 cup super fine sugar

 1/18 cups chocolate bittersweet, chopped fine

1 Tablespoon instant espresso powder

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 1/2 Tablespoons cornstarch

 2 1/2 Tablespoons butter

Directions

In a double boiler melt the finely chopped bittersweet chocolate until shiny and silky. Whisk while warm, add the instant espresso powder till completely smooth.

In a heavy bottom sauce pan whisk egg yolks, super fine sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt till combined and ribbons form. In small sauce pan heat the milk and half and half to a light boil, the milk mixture should coat the back of a wooden spoon and leave a finger trail when drawn across. In a thin stream whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture, tempering the egg mixture carefully.

Switch to a wooden spoon, stirring constantly  until thickened over a medium low heat. Remove from the heat and stir the melted bittersweet chocolate and vanilla. Transfer to large glass bowl and whisk the butter into the pudding until smooth and silky.

cover with plastic film directly on top of the pudding, bring to room temperature, and chill in the refrigerator for two hours or  up to 3 days.

Soaking Syrup

3 tbls kalhua 

3 tbls rum

Pour both into a small bowl and using a brush, brush onto each layer of cake before adding the filling.

Cocoa Whip Cream Frosting

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

3 tbls sugar

1 tbls cocoa powder

1 tbls rum

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions 

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment pour in the heavy cream and whisk until peaks start to form. Add in sugar, cocoa, rum, and vanilla. Keep whipping until stiff peaks form. Place in fridge until ready to frost the cake.

To do it the old fashioned way just pour the heavy cream in a cold metal or glass bowl and beat with a whisk until peaks form. Follow the same process as above.