Chocolate Caramel Bacon Cake
Enter: Caramel Bacon Chocolate Cake. Not for the faint of heart, an every day indulgence or incessant calorie-counters. A multilayered operation of making caramel, salted caramel whipped cream, cracked caramel candy, chocolate ganache and 3 cake layers, it's a project for the weekend. The most chocolaty cake in the world, made tender with bacon grease, crispy bits of bacon and your imagination.
Chocolate Cake
Butter (or bacon grease), for
greasing the pans
1 3/4 cups
self-rising flour, plus more for pans
2 cups Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
3/4 cups
Ghirardelli natural unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon sea
salt
1 cup buttermilk,
shaken
1/2 cup light
olive oil
2 extra-large eggs
1 teaspoon pure
vanilla extract
1 cup hot brewed
coffee
Bacon caramel
filling, recipe follows
Chocolate ganache,
recipe follows
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x
2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the
pans.
Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa and salt into the bowl of an
electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until
combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, olive oil, eggs, and
vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the
dry. With mixer still on low, add hot brewed coffee and stir just to
combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to insure it is
incorporated into the batter.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40
minutes, until a toothpick (or tip of a knife) comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes,
then turn them out onto cooling racks and cool completely.
Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a plate or cake
pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with caramel bacon filling. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the
chocolate ganache evenly on the top and sides of the cake.
If you feel fancy, spread the bacon caramel filling in between the cake layers and then transfer the cake to a cooling rack (with foil or newspaper beneath). Pour the room temperature chocolate ganache over the entire cake. Let the ganache set before moving to a cake dish,
Bacon Caramel
6 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup heavy
whipping cream
16 oz. Sugar-Free Cool Whip
4 slices bacon,
cooked, crumbled
 |
| Making caramel. It's just melted sugar. |
Heat sugar on moderately high heat in a heavy-bottomed
2-quart or 3-quart saucepan. As the sugar begins to melt, stir vigorously with
a whisk or wooden spoon. As soon as the sugar comes to a boil, stop stirring.
Immediately add the butter to the pan. Whisk until the butter has melted. Take
the pan off the heat. Count to three, then slowly add the cream to the pan and
continue to whisk to incorporate. When you add the butter and the cream, the
mixture will foam up. Whisk until caramel sauce is smooth. Let cool in the pan
for a couple minutes, then pour into 16 oz. of room temperature Cool Whip. Add
crumbled bacon and whisk until incorporated. Chill for 1 hour.
Chocolate Ganache
1/2 cup heavy
cream
Cook the chocolate chips, heavy cream in the top of a double
boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally. Cool
to room temperature.
NOTE: Or melt chocolate in the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between. Add heavy cream and whisk until no lumps or chunks are visible and a smooth texture is achieved.
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About the author
Nikki Miller-Ka
Ms. Miller-Ka is a classically trained chef with a BA in English from East Carolina University and a Culinary Arts Associate Degree from Le Cordon Bleu-Miami.
Formerly, she’s worked as a researcher, an editorial assistant, reporter and guest blogger for various publications and outlets in the Southeast. She has also worked as a catering chef, a pastry chef, a butcher, a baker, and a biscuit-maker. Presently, she is a food editor, freelance food writer, and a tour guide for Taste Carolina Gourmet Food Tours.
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