Reimagining the Caramel Delight

On behalf of a really important birthday this past weekend, I pursued a rather challenging endeavor. I wanted not just any cake, but one that would taste light hearted and luscious. Gluten free but not fun free. A giant caramel delight? Sure. Why the heck not?

When I think of girl scout cookies, the crinkly silver paper and stolen late-night treats come to mind. Study sessions and thin mints, dance practice and short breads. 

I wanted to celebrate the person that makes me feel the joy that accompanies a stolen cookie; no-holds-barred happiness. He makes my days infinitely more delightful; just like the confectionary counterpart. 

There are a few moving parts here but with a good prep it wont take long:

Dairy Free Ganache

1 Can of Coconut Milk

1 Can of Coconut Cream (not light)

16 oz Dark Chocolate (60-70%) 

Pour contents of both cans into a pot and bring to a boil

While the coconut milks and cream are coming to a boil, chop chocolate into small pieces (or use Dark chocolate chips) and place in a large bowl

Once the Cream comes to a boil, pour over chocolate and let sit for 5 minutes without stirring

Gently fold with a whisk until it is a uniform chocolate consistency.
The less vigorously you stir the better- it keeps the ganache glossy!

Refrigerate!

German Chocolate Cake (adapted from German Chocolate Cake in Baked A New Frontier in Baking)

Sift and Put Aside

350g  AP Gluten Free Mix a la Gluten Free Girl

3/4 Cup Cocoa Powder

1.5 tsp Baking Powder

.5 tsp Baking Soda

1.5 tsp Salt

2.5 Sticks of Butter or Earth Balance Buttery Sticks for DF Version

1 C of Raw Turbinado Sugar

5 Eggs

2 tsps Vanilla Extract

1 Cup of Buttermilk or coconut milk with 1 tbs of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

1 Cup of Coffee

Set Oven to 350 and grease a bundt pan or two nine inch cake pans and set aside

Cream butter and sugar for 5 minutes on high.  You want to aerate the butter: Sugar crystals need to cut the butter for that to occur.  

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or in 30 second spurts in the microwave; mixing after each burst of heat. Set aside

Whisk together coffee and buttermilk in a small bowl and set aside

Scrape the sides of the bowl and crack and add eggs one at a time to the butter and sugar until each is incorporated. 

In three additions, add your buttermilk+coffee mixture and sifted dry ingredients. Start and End with the dry ingredients. (Just mix until you see a few streaks of flour remaining)

Add Vanilla extract and fold the remaining batter with a spatula. (Make sure you unearth the flour and butter that will inevitably be trapped at the bottom of the bowl)

Add the now room temperature chocolate ( I used 60% Caillebaut Organic Dark Chocolate)

Pour the batter into the pan and set on center rack of oven to bake for 55-58 minutes (I used a single bundt pan to get the hole-in-the-middle effect,.. If you use two 9-inch cake pans, it will take roughly 30-35 minutes

Want to make sure that GF cake is done? Use a Candy Thermometer to temp the cake: it should be between 207-209 degrees for perfect doneness!

I freeze my cakes to allow for easier slicing and frosting and I suggest you do the same! Two hours is perfect for a semi-solid hardness that will cut cleanly.

Coconut, Pecan Goo

1 Cup of Evaporated Milk

1 tsp Sea Salt

1 and 1/3 C Roasted Pecan Bits, 

1 1/3 Cups of Toasted Coconut

1 Cup of Raw Turbinado Sugar or Sucanat

1 tablespoon of Vanilla Extract

1 Stick of Earth balance or Butter

Preheat oven to 300 degrees, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Spread half of the coconut evenly across the pan and roast for 3 minutes jostle the coconut with your hand to move the browned bits toward the center and toast for another 2 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool; note your kitchen is going to smell like a tropical vacation.

Cut the butter into small pieces and add to a large saucepan along with sugar, evaporated milk, vanilla and egg yolks. With the heat on medium high, bring the mixture to a boil, while stirring constantly. When it starts to feel like sludge and your whisk or spoon is encountering resistance, remove from stove and add in the toasted and untoasted coconut and pecans. Let cool, then refrigerate.

Some assembly required:

While the cake is freezing, remove 1/2 of your DF ganache from the fridge. 
Place in the bowl of a stand mixer or hand mixer and whisk until it becomes light and fluffy like a frosting.

The other half of your ganache is going to be heated for covering the cake, just like a Samoa.

Heat that in the microwave for 30 seconds and check the consistency. Liquid-y? Perfect if not repeat the bursts of microwaving until its a liquid again.

Remove cake from freezer and cut into two halves if you used a bundt pan. Two nine inches? You are already good to go. 
Place one layer on a cake round or plate and frost with the whipped ganache. Top that layer of frosting with the other half of the cake. If using two 9 inches, I suggest inverting the cake so the flat surface lies on top. This will make glazing infinitely easier.

Score the Cake to make sure your layers will be straight!

Then with the melted ganache, glaze the cake. Here is a fantastic instructional video if you need some pointers. 

YOU ARE ALMOST DONE!!!

The pecan goo should be a thick layer on top of the cake. You will find that perfection in this portion actually takes away from the cake’s resemblance to a Samoa. So plop it on but don't pat it down.

Last but not least, drizzle remaining liquid ganache in lines over the top. There you have it. A birthday Samoa and a happy boyfriend/friends/family/yourself.

  

The cake will keep in an airtight container for two days but I doubt it’ll be around that long.