Chocolate wreath cake

 
                           CHOCOLATE WREATH CAKE
 
 Recipe By     : 
 Serving Size  : 12   Preparation Time :0:00
 Categories    : Cakes
 
   Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
 --------  ------------  --------------------------------
    3       c            All-purpose flour
    1       tb           Baking powder
    1       tb           Baking soda
    1 1/2   ts           Salt
    3       c            Sugar
    3       c            Water
    6       oz           Semisweet chocolate
                         -finely chopped
    1       lb           Unsalted butter -- softened
    3                    Large eggs -- lightly beaten
    2 1/4   c            Confectioners' sugar
      1/2   ts           Vanilla extract
                         -Few drops green food colori
                         Fresh raspberries, dried
                         -cranberries, or cherries,
                         -for garnish
 
   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 10-inch tube pan
   with a nonremovable bottom. In a large bowl, sift together the flour,
   baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium pot, combine the
   sugar and water and bring them to a boil. Remove the pot from the
   heat and stir in the chocolate and 1 stick of butter. When the
   chocolate and butter have completely melted, whisk the mixture to
   combine completely. Whisk in the beaten eggs. Pour about half the
   chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients and whisk vigorously to
   thoroughly combine the ingredients and remove any lumps. Working
   quickly, add the remaining chocolate mixture and whisk to combine.
   Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 60 minutes,
   until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the
   cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then turn out onto a rack
   to cool completely. In a medium bowl, cream together the remaining 3
   sticks of butter and the confectioners' sugar, until light and
   fluffy. Remove 1/3 cup of the icing, place in a small bowl, and color
   it with a few drops of the green food coloring. Put the remaining
   icing in a pot, add the vanilla. Over low heat, stir the icing until
   it becomes a pourable consistency. (If it overheats, causing the
   butter to spearate, put the icing in the refrigerator to chill and
   stir to bring it back together.) Pour the icing over the cooled cake
   so that it drips down the center and outside. Cluster the red berries
   in groups of 3 on top of the cake. Fill the green icing into a pastry
   bag fitted with a leaf tip and pipe a few leaves around each cluster
   of berries. Serves 12 to 16. Source:"An Edible Christmas" (A Treasury
   of Recipes for the Holiday) by Irena Chalmers.
  
 
 
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