naked cake

Raspberry Streusel Cake

37 Comments / Cakes

Raspberry Streusel Cake Recipe by The Wood and Spoon Blog. Three layers of brown sugar vanilla cake filled with a quick and simple raspberry compote and sprinkles of cinnamon sugar streusel crumble. The naked cake is coated in a tangy cream cheese frosting. This layer cake can be prepared in parts days in advance and stays moist over time. Find this party cake recipe (perfect for holidays and Mother's Day !) on www.thewoodandspoon.com / woodandspoon.com

Today, my sweet George turns one. The little guy who gave us a fright by coming a few weeks early. The baby who greets me every morning with smiles and wildly kicking legs. My bittiest buddy turns one today and while we’ll celebrate his life this weekend with friends, balloons, and even this raspberry streusel cake, today I’m thinking about all the days it took us to get here and the opportunity of the days that are to come.

Sometimes I find myself daydreaming about what memories my kids will have of me. Maybe the smell of homemade honey oat bread when they come home from school. They might recall sprinkling chocolate chips into the bowl of the stand mixer or drizzling honey on the tops of biscuits fresh from the oven. Maybe the sound of butter sizzling, popping on the stove top, or even me cursing under my breath at a burned wrist or a scorched sauce.

Baking as an Act of Love

My hope is that my time spent in the kitchen will one day translate to my kids as an act of love. I want them to know that the time spent frosting birthday cakes and flipping pancakes and blowing on hot mugs of marshmallow-topped cocoa was an effort to celebrate their existence. To breathe life and fun into the ordinary moments we shared together.

The part that makes me smile and puffs my chest with hope is that I really think they’ll get it. I think they’ll know.

Like with anything else, time and effort takes intention. And when your intentions are to feed your family, not just physically, but also emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, there’s bound to be love found in those spaces. In the years to come, every bite of cake and lit birthday candle has the potential to serve as an homage to the affection we shared in those brief moments around the table and in the kitchen.

So if my children read this someday, please know that you are the reason for so many meals, so many plates of desserts. You make pans of cinnamon rolls and slices of homemade bread worthwhile. You make ordinary moments an opportunity for a memory, a chance to connect.

And to my darling George- you are a quiet and gentle joy that I didn’t know I needed. Your life is brimming with possibility and hope, and I pray that I get to celebrate a lifetime of birthdays by your side.

Raspberry Streusel Cake

Now that I’m officially a ball of emotions, let’s talk about this raspberry streusel cake.

This cake is so many things. So many flavors, so many textures, so many tastebuds fully satisfied. The sweetest part? You can make almost all of the cake elements in advance. I just love an impressive dessert that is a cinch to put together.

Making the Cake

To start, we make the cake layers. These are vanilla butter cakes sweetened with both brown and white sugar, with an extra egg thrown in for insurance. The cake layers are thin, which is perfect, because the star of this show is all of the fillings that go in between them. First, a sweet and tart raspberry filling that takes just a few ingredients and less than 10 minutes to throw together. In a pinch, you could substitute a high quality jam or preserve, but it’s so easy to put together that there’s hardly any reason not to.

The Streusel

Next, the streusel crumbs. These brown sugar cinnamon crumbles are impossible to stop eating and add a delightful crunch in between all of the soft filling, frosting, and cake layers. I prefer to let my crumbs get even a little extra crunchy because they will soften slightly once they get inside the cake. The proverbial and literal icing on this raspberry streusel cake is a simple cream cheese buttercream. This frosting is sweet enough to offset the raspberries, but has just enough tang to stand on it’s own. This is the only cream cheese frosting recipe you’ll ever want to make from here on out. Scout’s honor.

The Raspberry Compote

Once all of the elements for this raspberry streusel cake are made, you can assemble the cake as desired. I pipe a dam of frosting around each layer of cake and then fill in the dam with the raspberry compote. Each layer gets a sprinkle of streusel crumbs as they are stacked together, and then the whole cake gets a healthy coating of frosting. If you need a brush up on cake baking tips prior to assembling this raspberry streusel cake, check out my favorite hints that I typed out here.

I plan to serve this raspberry streusel cake at George’s birthday party this weekend, and you can’t say you blame me! This decadent treat is a celebration cake if there’s ever been one, with each bite offering a new taste, different in flavor and texture from the last. I sincerely hope you’ll consider making this for your next celebration- you won’t be disappointed.

Happy birthday to my little George and happy Thursday to all of you. Cheers!

If you like this raspberry streusel cake, you should try:

White Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Caramel Crumble Cake

Champagne Elderflower Cupcakes

Confetti Ice Cream Cake

Berry Almond Streusel Pie

Raspberry Streusel Cake

This raspberry streusel cake is three layers of vanilla butter cake filled with a raspberry compote and sprinkled with brown sugar streusel crumbs.

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 90
Cook Time: 45
Total Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
Yield: 12

Ingredients

For the streusel crumbs

1/3 cup (40 gm) flour
1/3 cup (70 gm) brown sugar
1/3 cup (30 gm) quick cooking oats
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
3 tablespoons (40 gm) unsalted butter, melted

For the raspberry filling

1–1/2 cups (150 gm) raspberries (frozen or fresh)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
¼ cup (50 gm) sugar

For the cake

2–1/2 cups (325 gm) cake flour
2–1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1–1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup (225 gm) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (200 gm) sugar
¾ cup (165 gm) packed brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1–1/2 cups (360 mL) buttermilk
1–1/2 teaspoons vanilla

For the frosting

1–1/2 cups (285 gm) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 block/ 8 ounces (225 gm) cream cheese, room temperature
½ teaspoon salt
1–1/2 teaspoons vanilla
Appx. 5 cups/ 1-1/2 pounds (680 gm) of powdered sugar

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Instructions

To prepare the streusel crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk the flour, brown sugar, oats, and salt together in a medium sized bowl. Add the melted butter and fold together until the ingredients clump into dime-sized bits. Spread out on a sheet pan and bake in the preheated oven, tossing occasionally, for 10-12 minutes or until the streusel is golden brown. Allow to cool completely before using or storing. Streusel can be made ahead and stored at room temperature for a week, or in the freezer for a couple of months.

To prepare the raspberry filling

Combine all of the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir well to evenly coat the raspberries. As the raspberries cook, smash with the back of a fork or with a potato masher. Once the mixture is smooth, bring to a boil, stirring regularly, until the mixture has thickened slightly. Remove from heat to a small bowl and cover the top with plastic wrap. Chill completely in the refrigerator completely prior to using.

To prepare the cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the sides and line the bottoms of 3-8” round cake pans with parchment paper and set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula and add each egg one at a time on low speed, mixing just until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients followed by the vanilla and about half of the buttermilk. Mix until combined and then repeat this process once more, finishing by adding the last third of the dry ingredients. Scrape the sides of the bowl and fold in any unincorporated bits of batter.
Distribute the batter evenly among the three pans and bake in the preheated oven 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow to cool completely prior to assembling cake.

To prepare the frosting

In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed (I use 4 on my stand mixer) for 2-3 minutes until light and creamy, scraping the bowl as necessary. Add the cream cheese and beat to incorporate for an additional minute. Add the salt, vanilla, and powdered sugar and beat on low speed until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl and continue to beat until well combined. Do not overbeat as this can cause the cream cheese to loosen. If needed, add a tablespoon of water or milk at a time to get the frosting the right consistency. Refrigerate as needed to thicken the frosting up.

To assemble the cake

Use a serrated knife to level the cakes. Smooth a small amount of frosting on an 8” cake board or plate and center a single cake layer on top. Using a piping bag (see notes) fitted with a large round tip, pipe a dam around the outer rim of the top of the cake. The dam should be at least ¼” tall to prevent the raspberry filling from squirting out the sides. Spread approximately half of the raspberry filling inside the dam and sprinkle with about 1/3 of the streusel crumbs. Pipe a bit of frosting on top of the raspberry filling to help the next layer of cake stick. Stack the second cake layer on top and repeat the entire process once more. Place the final cake layer on top. Spread a thin coat of frosting (crumb coat) all over the cake and allow it to set up in the fridge prior to applying the final coat of frosting. You can skip this step if desired. Decorate the top of the cake with a few streusel crumbs and spare raspberries, if desired. Cake will keep in the refrigerator covered in plastic for up to three days.

Notes

Notes

If you don’t have a piping bag, you can place 1-1/2 cups of frosting in a freezer Ziploc bag. Seal the bag and snip one of the corners off the end of the bag and use that to pipe frosting.
You can substitute different varieties of berries here, but the amount of sugar needed in the filling will differ based on which berry you choose. Adjust according to your preference.

Recipe for Cake Adapted From: Baked Occasions

Tiramisu Cake

16 Comments / Cakes

Tiramisu Cake Recipe By Kate Wood of thewoodandspoon.com // Three layers of moist vanilla yellow cake soaked in espresso and coffee liquor and topped with a mascarpone cream cheese whipped cream frosting. Just like the classic Italian tiramisu recipe but fancy enough for a celebration or party. This is a great boozy dessert to share with friends!

Guys, if you thought you liked eating regular tiramisu, just wait until you see what happens when you stack it like a birthday cake. Straight up MAGICAL. Making this tiramisu cake is one of the better choices I’ve made recently. Unlike some things in life, this cake is a no-brainer.

Someone recently asked me if Brett and I planned to have any more children. At the time, I think I was bouncing a fussy George on one hip while Aimee cried loudly from time out in the next room over. I diffused that question with a laugh and gestured towards the two crying babies as if to say, “Ha! Not any time soon.”

Potty Training

One of my (many) prerequisites for having more children is that someone has to be potty trained. Someone needs to be able to manage their own bathroom situation without mom having to get involved. I can’t simultaneously change the diaper of one child and wipe the bottom of another while a newborn is latched on to my boob. Moms may have superpowers but I’ve only got two hands, okay?

Candy Bribery

Brett and I have spent the last few months casually trying to potty train Aimee, and while there have been some major improvements, we’re just not quite there yet. In fact, I’m convinced Aimee is pretty much using the toilet to scratch her itch for candy. “Mama, if Aimee goes peepee on the potty, I get candy?” “Mama, Aimee sat on the potty at school today- you give me candy?” “Mama, come look in the potty! There’s peepee! Aimee get candy!” You can’t blame the girl. IT’S CANDY. It’s practically a form of currency for toddlers. (Sidenote: Please watch this bit of Jerry Seinfeld standup where he talks about kids and candy. HILARIOUS.)

So I’ve basically resorted to whoring out our candy drawer for any degree of bathroom activity, because I am desperate to get out of this phase of life where I have to change two sets of diapers. Unfortunately, no amount of candy can stand up against the wants of a stubborn child. Aimee, my strong-willed beauty, who even at 2 years old already has unique certainty of who she is and what she wants, has decided she does not want to be entirely potty trained. She is perfectly content to wear a pull-up 24/7, and no amount of begging, bribing, encouragement or discipline will change that until she is ready.

So what’s a girl to do? Let the kid eat, breathe, sleep in the bathroom just in case she decides to go? That sounds sanitary. Maybe keep changing the diapers? That sounds tiresome. Maybe I’ll just pour a cocktail and let dad do the work. Wait, that actually sounds brilliant…

Tiramisu Cake

I’ve only been doing this for a couple of years, so I don’t have all of the mom stuff figured out yet. What I do know is cake. So let’s talk about that instead.

The Layers

This tiramisu cake is decadent. A take on the old Italian classic, this cake is three layers of creamy, coffee, moist cakey goodnesss and is a stunning way to transform an otherwise plain looking dessert. We start by baking the cake layers. I use a simple vanilla cake recipe adapted from the brilliant Rose Levy Beranbaum. She makes most things perfect, so you can trust this recipe. The cake layers are moist yet dense and stable enough to handle the soak and cream filling this cake sports.

The Filling

Once the layers are baked, cooled, and ready for stacking, we make the mascarpone cream frosting by beating together the cheese, sugar, cream, and Kahlua. Next, we soak the cakes in some coffee and liquor mainly because that’s what you do with tiramisu but also because booze and caffeine are the lifeblood of any decent parent, AMIRITE!?! I chose to assemble this tiramisu cake in the same way that I stack my naked cakes in order to keep the layers tidy and pretty, but if you’re desperate to just face-plant into the cake and don’t care what it looks like you can totally bypass this step. Once assembled, the cake take a long nap in the fridge before it’s ready to be served and enjoyed.

Finishing the Cake

Even though I’m a sucker for cake in general, somehow this tiramisu cake gets to me. The texture, the flavors, the way it reminds me of the many slices of tiramisu that I’ve had before- everything just screams “YES!” to me. This tiramisu cake gets better over time, so it’s a great dessert to make ahead, store in the fridge, and serve a day or two later. The coffee soak and mascarpone whipped cream filling keep the cake moist, so you can continue to enjoy it 3, 4, maybe even 5 days after preparing it. No guarantees it will go that long uneaten though.

If you’re in a rush and don’t want to fuss with a homemade cake, of course you can substitute a box cake mix, but keep in mind that there will be enough mascarpone filling for 3 layers of cake, so you’ll need more than a single box of cake mix.

You guys know me. I make no qualms about having my ducks in a row or always knowing what to do when it comes to stuff like being a mom, wife, or official potty trainer. But this tiramisu cake? You can bank on it. Give the recipe a try let me know what you think! If you need me, I’ll be over here in the land of Skittles and mini toddler-sized toilets, s if you have any words of wisdom on managing the bowels of tiny humans, I’ll gladly listen. Happy Tuesday and cheers to you!

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Espresso Caramel Thumbprint Cookies

Peppermint Bark Ice Cream Cake

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Tiramisu Cake

Tiramisu Cake Kate Wood of thewoodandspoon.com // Three layers of moist vanilla yellow cake soaked in espresso and coffee liquor and topped with a mascarpone cream cheese whipped cream frosting. Just like the classic Italian tiramisu recipe but fancy enough for a celebration or party. This is a great boozy dessert to share with friends!

This tiramisu cake is three layers of vanilla cake soaked in espresso and coffee liquor and frosted with a creamy mascarpone whipped cream.

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 60
Cook Time: 60
Total Time: 2 hours
Yield: 10
Category: Dessert

Ingredients

For the cake layers

4 cups (400 gm) cake flour
2 cups sugar (400 gm)
2 tablespoons (30 gm) baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks, 230 gm) unsalted butter, room temperature
1–1/2 cups (360 mL) buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla

For the soak

3/4 cup (180 mL) strong brewed coffee (warm or cold, doesn’t matter)
1/4 cup (60 mL) Kahlua or coffee liquor
1–2 teaspoons espresso powder (optional)

For the mascarpone whipped cream

16 ounces (460 gm) mascarpone cheese, room temperature
8 ounces (230 gm) cream cheese, room temperature
1–1/2 cups (170 gm) powdered sugar
1 tablespoon Kahlua
1–1/2 cups (360 mL) heavy whipping cream
¼ cup (30 gm) cocoa powder

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Instructions

To prepare the cake layers

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 8” round pans. Place parchment rounds in the bottom of each one for easy removal, if desired.
In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients until well dispersed, about 30 seconds. Add the softened butter and ¾ of the buttermilk to the dry ingredients. Keep the mixer on low until slightly combined and then increase to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the rest of the buttermilk and one egg and beat on low for 30 seconds to incorporate. Add the additional egg and the vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and fold in any unincorporated batter.
Spread the batter evenly among the three pans and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. A toothpick inserted should come out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove from pan and remain cooling on a rack until room temperature. If you don’t plan to use the cakes immediately, wrap tightly in plastic wrap.

To prepare the soak

Combine the coffee and coffee liquor in a small bowl. Taste the mixture. If it doesn’t have a strong coffee flavor, you can sprinkle in some of the espresso powder for an extra punch of coffee. If you would prefer a more mild coffee flavor, this is not necessary.

To prepare the mascarpone whipped cream

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a medium sized bowl, beat together the mascarpone cheese and cream cheese until combined and smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the powdered sugar and Kahlua and beat briefly to combine. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. To do this, start the mixer on low and beat until the cream gets frothy. Increase the speed to high and beat until the whipping cream has barely thickened enough to stand up in straight peaks on its own. Fold the whipped cream into the mascarpone mixture until smooth.

To assemble the cake

Level all three cake layers using a serrated knife. (Note: I find it easiest to level cakes when they are still partially frozen.) Use a basting or pastry brush to “‘soak” each cake layer with the soak. Continue adding the coffee liquid to the cakes until they are well moistened, but not to where the coffee has dredged all the way through and has made the cake fall apart. You may not use all of the soak.
On top of one soaked cake layer, spread about 1-1/4-1-1/2 cups of the mascarpone whipped cream and smooth out the top. Add an additional cake layer on top and repeat this process. Add the final cake layer to the top of the cake and spread a generous amount of whipped cream on top. Continue frosting the sides as well.
You can allow the cake to chill and firm up in the fridge for a few hours if desired, or you can serve it immediately. I prefer to allow the cake to sit in the fridge so that the cake layers can continue to soften and soak up the coffee and the cream.
Prior to serving, use a sifter to sprinkle some cocoa powder on top of the cake.

Notes

Notes: To prepare the cake as I did, as a naked cake, see the link in the post, or find the confetti ice cream cake in my blog archives. There are directions there for how to assemble a naked cake.
If you have another favorite recipe for a vanilla or white cake, feel free to substitute here.
If you choose not to prepare the cake in a “naked’ fashion, consider chilling the whipped cream in the fridge briefly so that it can firm up a bit. This will help keep the cream from just squishing out the sides when you stack your cakes.

Cake Recipe Adapted from: The Cake Bible

Chocolate Caramel Crumble Cake

22 Comments / Cakes

Chocolate Caramel Crumble Cake This is a rich, fluffy, and moist dark chocolate cake make with dutch process / special dark cocoa powder. The cake recipe is a one bowl, simple, easy, make ahead cake recipe. The cake is filled with chocolate cookie crumbles made like milk bar crumb. There is also a sweet and salty caramel in the middle and a fluffy chocolate frosting made from melted semisweet and bittersweet chocolate chips. You can make this a naked cake or frost the outside as well. Find the recipe for this celebration / birthday cake / chocolate lover best cake on thewoodandspoon.com

Here in America, it’s the morning after election Tuesday, and let me just say that I’m thankful.

I’m thankful to live in America. I’m thankful for the right to vote. I’m thankful for the freedoms and liberties that my country and its leaders have afforded me.

To be honest, though, I’m mainly thankful that my hope is not dictated by politics. My joy and peace do not stem from a winning vote. In fact, I can list a million things that I have to be thankful for right at this very moment, and not one of them has anything to do with whoever ends up living in the big house on Pennsylvania Ave.

Instead of spending our time chit-chatting about politics, let’s skip right to dessert. On days like these, we need something sweet like chocolate caramel crumble cake to remind us that it’s all good. To remind us to take life one slice at a time. So if you’re not too busy planning your retirement to Canada, let’s settle in and discuss this cake, shall we?

Chocolate cake is no stranger to me. My favorite chocolate cake is regularly in rotation around our house and I’d cast all of my votes on this beauty if I could. There are so many things you can do to a really good chocolate cake recipe to make it feel like a million bucks, but if you ask me, you can never go wrong with salty caramel and chocolate crumbles. So let’s hang out there today.

This chocolate caramel crumble cake is a three layer chocolate cake with drizzles of homemade salted caramel sauce and crunchy chocolate shortbread crumbs in between. I prefer to make this salted caramel sauce, and the chocolate crumble recipe was modified from my favorite shortbread crust recipe that can be found here. Once the cake has been stacked, the whole thing is coated with a sweet and silky whipped chocolate frosting that is made with a combination of cocoa powder, melted chocolate, and real bits of heaven (so you know it’s good.)

chocolate crumble cake stop motion

I made little stop motion video of this chocolate caramel crumble cake so that you could watch the assembly yourself. This recipe makes enough frosting to coat and decorate the entire cake, but a naked cake never hurt anybody either. So if you prefer a naked cake, you can check out more photos and written instruction on how to stack one here.

If this election has you all hot and bothered for more cakes, you can find a few more cake recipes here including the pumpkin and burnt sugar cake I made a few weeks ago. You can also check out my instagram for more chocolate cake decorating inspiration- I even made this cake for my birthday a few weeks ago!

chocolate caramel crumble cake

Happy Wednesday to all you Republicans, Democrats, and Independents out there. No matter who you voted for, this cake is for you! Cheers!

Chocolate Caramel Crumble Cake

Chocolate Caramel Crumble Cake This is a rich, fluffy, and moist dark chocolate cake make with dutch process / special dark cocoa powder. The cake recipe is a one bowl, simple, easy, make ahead cake recipe. The cake is filled with chocolate cookie crumbles made like milk bar crumb. There is also a sweet and salty caramel in the middle and a fluffy chocolate frosting made from melted semisweet and bittersweet chocolate chips. You can make this a naked cake or frost the outside as well. Find the recipe for this celebration / birthday cake / chocolate lover best cake on thewoodandspoon.com

★★★★★

4.3 from 4 reviews

Chocolate caramel crumble cake is a three layer chocolate cake stacked with coats of fluffy chocolate frosting, drizzles of salty caramel, and sprinkles of chocolate cookie crumbles.

Author: Kate Wood
Prep Time: 60
Cook Time: 60
Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients

For the chocolate cake

2–1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2–1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
2–1/4 teaspoons baking powder
2–1/4 teaspoons corn starch
1–1/2 teaspoons salt
3 eggs, room temperature
1–1/4 cups buttermilk, room temperature
3/4 cups black coffee, hot
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1–1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

For the chocolate crumbles

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon water

For the chocolate frosting

2–1/4 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
1–1/2 cups confectioners sugar
3/4 cups cocoa powder
6 tablespoons milk
1–1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
1/2 cup prepared salted caramel sauce

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Instructions

To prepare the cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 (8″) round cake pans with baking spray and line the bottoms with parchment rounds.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all of the dry ingredients and stir until combined. In a separate bowl, loosely combine all of the wet ingredients and these to the bowl of the dry ingredients. Mix on medium speed for just shy of 2 minutes, scraping the bowl (and bottom of bowl!) twice throughout.
Pour equal amounts of batter in to all 3 pans. Carefully place in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, or until center is just barely set and toothpick comes out of cake almost clean. Allow to cool in the pans and on a cooling rack for 20 minutes and then remove from pans to continue the cooling process. Allow to cool completely prior to frosting.

To prepare the crumbles

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Beat the butter and sugar on medium low speed until creamy, about 1-2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and beat on low until large crumbs begin to form. Chill the crumbs in the freezer for about 5 minutes to set the crumbs.
Spread the crumbs out onto a quarter sheet pan and bake in the oven, tossing occasionally for about 15-20 minutes, or until crumbs are baked and set.

To prepare the chocolate frosting

Whip butter in the bowl of a stand mixer over medium speed (I use 4 on my Kitchen Aid) for 5 minutes. Add the sugar, cocoa powder, milk, vanilla, and salt and beat for an additional 3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and add the melted chocolate, beating until throughly combined for an additional 1-2 minutes. Place in the fridge if it is too soft. This is enough frosting for a 3 layer, 8″ cake.

To assemble to cake

Spread a small dollop of frosting on a cake board and place one chocolate cake layer on top. Spread 3/4 cup of frosting on top, spreading it evenly to the edges of the cake. Drizzle 3 tablespoons of caramel and sprinkle with 1/3 of the crumbles. Repeat this process once to assemble the second layer.
To finish the cake, set in place the final cake round. Spread 1 cup of frosting on top and decorate as desired, garnishing with the remaining caramel and crumbles.

Notes

Cakes can be made ahead and frozen. See my blog post for chocolate cake for more tips on cake baking.
Frosting can be made ahead and frozen. Bring to room temperature and re-beat prior to using.
Store bought caramel is fine, but see the link in my post for my favorite salted caramel recipe.
Chocolate crumbles can be made ahead and frozen.
You can half this recipe to prepare a smaller 6″ cake.
This cake can be frosted and decorated as a traditional cake as well. Instead of preparing it as a naked cake, you can pipe a dam of frosting on top of each layer of cake and fill with caramel and crumbles. Once the cake is stacked, coat it in a thin crumb coat and place in the fridge to set up. You can finish it by frosting and decorating as desired.

Black Forest Ice Cream Cake

6 Comments / Cakes, Frozen Desserts

Black Forest Ice Cream Cake

Guys. Please tell me I’m not the only one. Please, please tell me that I am not actually the sorriest person on the planet.

The other day, I was vacuuming the nursery when I came upon a stubborn bundle of fuzz that refused to be sucked into the vacuum even after rolling over it five or six (read: fifteen) times. Instead of tossing the fuzzie in the trash, I picked up the little guy with my toes and then dropped it back on the ground to attempt to vacuum it up from a different angle.

WHAT. IS. THAT.

What degree of laziness does one have to have if they are willing to relocate grunge on floor to avoid a short walk to the garbage can to throw it out?

[Throws hands in the air] I disgust myself.

But this is the kind of stuff that is all over my life right now. With a handful of balls in the air and more than a few hats that I wear on a daily basis, I find myself halfway-ing a good number of areas of my life. I work out, but I fail to eat right. I buy a birthday gift but forget to mail the card. I play with my babies, but get tired and end up relying on Mickey Mouse to drag us through the final hours of the day. I’m still trying to get the hang of balancing all of the things that I want to make time for and as a result, some things just don’t get the attention they require.

Between work and babies and all of the other things that end up receiving little nuggets of my time, this blog is often one of the many forgotten outcasts of my life. Since starting this little corner of the interwebz, I have had the intentions of working on a number of photography and web-based skills (computer hacking skills…nun-chuck skills…. bow-hunting skills), but that list of tasks has long been shuffled under a mound of other things. Finally, this past weekend, I set aside some time to tick a few things off of my list and I am thrilled to share the results with you.

I made a stop motion film!

Okay, I understand this is not a huge deal and I can totally hear every teenager on the planet whispering, “that’s so easy” under their breath. Also, there’s no need to point out the flaws because I totally see them. But for me, this took a bit of learning and I am so excited to have even attempted it. I’d officially like the thank The Academy, my Canon camera, and both of my babies (for napping at the same time last Saturday) for giving me the opportunity to shoot and stitch this little guy together.

You’ll see that the video is a stop motion film of the building of a naked black forest ice cream cake. Naked cakes are my favorite to make, so naturally, naked ice cream cakes are pretty much the center of my universe. I love them almost as much as I love my own children. Not really, but close.

This black forest ice cream cake was created using my favorite chocolate cake recipe and a frozen, ice cream-esque filling that I adapted from Ina Garten’s mocha icebox cake. While a traditional black forest cake is filled with Kirsch soaked cherries and lightly sweetened whipped cream, my version boasts boozy bourbon cherries (because the South, y’all!), hot fudge drizzles, and simple, creamy layers of ice cream. The whole thing is stacked together and left in the freezer for a rainy day.

Black Forest Ice Cream Cake

You can totally shortcut any and all portions of this recipe and substitute store-bought favorites. Instead of homemade cake, try a box mix. Instead of making the ice cream filling, set a quart of your favorite grocery store variety on the counter to thaw out slightly before making the cake. I always have a jar of fudge sauce in my fridge and try to prepare the cakes the night before, so day-of labor is minimal at best.

Black Forest Ice Cream Cake

I recommend that you read through the full list of instructions before starting. The process is simple in nature, but lengthy in detail so make sure you know what you’re doing before you get started. Also, I’ve included a couple of snapshots in this post to illustrate the two methods of building a naked cake. Have fun watching the short little movie, and I sincerely hope it inspires you to make a naked cake of your own. Happy Monday!

Black Forest Ice Cream Cake

Needed:

3 prepared 6″ chocolate cake layers (I bake a half batch of this recipe in 3- 6″ pans)

1 recipe of ice cream filling, unfrozen (see below)

1 recipe of bourbon soaked cherries (See below)

1/2 cup chocolate fudge sauce (I like this recipe, but store bought is fine)

Directions:

1. Line a 6″ cake ring with an acetate sheet collar (see notes). Alternatively, you can line the sides of a 6″ round cake pan with a collar of wax paper or parchment paper to use as a guide/mold for building your cake. This is not a necessary step, but certainly makes building your cake much easier. If using the cake pan, line the bottom with a small piece of parchment to ensure easy removal from pan.

2. Place one leveled cake layer in the bottom of the cake ring. Using a pastry brush, soak the first layer of cake with approximately 1/3 of the cherry syrup. Smooth 1 cup of the ice cream mixture over the top of the first cake layer. Sprinkle 1/2 of the cherries on top of the ice cream and then drizzle with 1/4 cups of hot fudge sauce. Repeat this process once.

3. Place the final cake layer on top of the built cake. Soak with the final third of cherry syrup and smooth 1-1/2 cups of the ice cream mixture on top.

4. Cover the cake loosely, and place in the freezer to set up for 4 hours or until firm.
5. Remove cake from freezer 10-15 minutes prior to serving for easy slicing. Uncut, the cake will keep in the freezer for 3 weeks.

Notes:

1. I use 3″ x 20″ wide acetate sheets to line my cake ring. As a result, I end up requiring two sheets total to cover the height of my cakes. See here for additional instructions on building cakes with acetate sheets.

2. If you prefer to not use acetate sheets and cake ring as a supportive mold, you can build the cake as I did in my video! Keep in mind that you have to work quickly as all that fluffy ice cream likes to squish out the sides.

Ice Cream Filling

Ingredients:

8 ounces of mascarpone cheese, room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1-1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon of vanilla bean
2 tablespoons of good quality bourbon, optional (I use Blanton’s)

To prepare the no churn ice cream:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the mascarpone, sugar, whipping cream, vanilla and bourbon. Whip with a whisk attachment until stiff peaks form. Set aside until ready to use in your cake.

Bourbon Soaked Cherries

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups (12 ounces) of stemmed and pitted dark cherries
2 tablespoons of good quality bourbon (I use Blanton’s)
2 tablespoons of granulated sugar

To prepare the cherries:

Roughly chop cherries into small bits. Place in a bowl and stir together with sugar and bourbon. Set aside for 30 minutes prior to use to allow the cherries, sugar, and bourbon to produce a syrup. When ready to use, strain the cherries from the syrup, reserving both for the cake. (Note: with this preparation the cherries freeze into icy bits of booze and fruit. If you’d prefer a sweeter, softer filling, you can cook the ingredients above with an additional 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch over low heat, stirring and smashing the cherries regularly until it has thickened to a jam-like consistency. Allow to cool before assembling with cake.)

Black Forest Ice Cream Cake

Black Forest Ice Cream Cake

Black Forest Ice Cream Cake

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