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Chocolate Ice Cube Cake | ledene kocke

If there was a giant table strewn with every cake, brownie, custard, and pie, ever, I’d be the first in line. But I wouldn’t be there to eat them. Not initially. I’d be there to soak in their beauty, to enjoy the geometry. Circles, rectangles, towers of truffles. Cubes, even. I’d languish to revel in the colors – chocolate browns, raspberry reds, vanilla-cream whites, mint-leaf greens, passion fruit golds. I’d eat with my eyes until ever bit of my spirit was nourished. Then I’d sink my teeth into the sweetness. When I happened upon Ledene Kocke, I fell immediately for the geometry; a grid, stacked in shades of cocoa and cream. Little did I know, translating the recipe would hold it’s fair share of challenges. I so wanted to make the recipe, though. With cold, hard stubbornness  I powered through and, in the words of Tim Gunn, I made it work. Let’s start by talking about the name. Ledene Kocke. Translators generally make this “Ice Cube Cake” which is completely adorable. It was only after I thought about how the cake is …

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German Tree Cake | Baumtorte / Baumkuchen

This is my favorite cake. All 21 layers of it. It has been since my mitten-wearing years. My mom used this intricately layered almond and chocolate cake as an activity for us kids – something to keep us busy on rainy mornings, when crayons had lost their interest. It is single-handedly responsible for my obsession with almond paste (and it’s sweeter counterpart, marzipan). The original recipe might as well be called “the dance of dirty bowls.” I took a hacksaw to the method, removing five extra bowls. Your baby soft hands will thank you. The best part? No cake goodness was harmed in the streamlining of this recipe. NOTE: You need two days to make this cake because the cake needs to chill in the fridge overnight. Serves 12 Ingredients: All ingredients should be room temperature 1 1/2 cups almond paste, tightly packed (12 oz) 6 Tbsp half & half 1 1/2 sticks butter (12 tbsp), softened 1 cup sugar 10 eggs, separated (put the whites in a bowl big enough to whip them up to …

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Austrian Chocolate Tart with Apricot Jam | Sacher-torte

Serves 8-10 When made properly, Sacher-torte is enrobed in a silky, smooth layer of chocolate ganache. This cake will satisfy any sweet tooth. I made sure to make enough glaze that even the novice decorator will be able to coat the entire cake. Please note: This is *not* the same recipe as published in my upcoming article in AFAR Magazine. The technique is totally different. Ingredients: For the cake: 1/2 stick butter, melted 3/4 cup flour 1/4 cup dutch-processed cocoa 1/4 tsp salt 6 large eggs 1 cup sugar 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 1 1/2 cup apricot preserves (chunk-free, or strained) For the glaze: 1 cup heavy cream 4 Tbsp light corn syrup 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate 1 tsp vanilla extract Method: For the Cake: 1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 10″ round springform pan. Add a circle of parchment paper to the bottom. 2. In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, and salt. NOTE: You really need to sift them together, making them light and fluffy. Sponge cakes rely …

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