Saturday, February 6, 2010

Chocolate Rose Cake, Love and a Giveaway!

February is the month of Love.....it's my favorite Hallmark holiday time of the year! It makes me remember shoebox Valentine boxes decorated with lace doilies and conversation heart candy. Then there is chocolate, chocolate, chocolate....love, love, love...what's to not like? If you're lucky, you might even be bestowed with a dozen or so roses. Or a Chocolate Rose Cake. I bought Nordic Ware's Platinum Rose bundt pan a few years ago. The first ones to use it were my daughter and son when they surprised me with a chocolate rose cake, dusted lightly with powdered sugar. It took my breath away. So when the kind folks at CSN stores contacted me to offer a giveaway of my choice from one of their sites, I perused their cookware site. While looking at the bake ware, I saw this pan and remembered how lovely the cake was.They have so many wonderful products that I nearly fell off of my kitchen bar stools while looking. It was hard to decide, but since this is the month of Love, Chocolate and Roses, I went with one of my first thoughts. I wanted a special recipe to make in it and share, and came up with a recipe inspired by Rose Levy Beranbaum. My dear friend Christine, stopped by a few weeks ago with a gift of "Rose's Heavenly Cakes." (Thank you, Christine!) I found a deep chocolate bundt pan recipe in it, tweaked it a little and was very happy with the results. I hope you will be too. You can make the cake in any bundt pan, but for a chance to win the Platinum Rose Pan, leave me a comment with thoughts of Love. If you are a Follower, leave a second comment stating that you are, and you'll have another chance to win. And...if you are a fellow blogger and have me on your blog roll, let me know in another comment and you'll be entered yet again! CSN has generously opened the giveaway to residents of the US and Canada and will ship it directly. You gotta Love that!

Remember in this crazy world, All There is, is Love...Love is All There is. It's not just a Hallmark Holiday. Spread the word.


Chocolate Rose Cake

1/2 cup finely ground almonds
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
1 1/4 cup turbinado sugar*
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, very soft at room temperature
*click here for information on turbinado sugar

Prepare a 10 cup bundt pan by spraying with baking spray with flour.

Set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees or 325 degrees if using a dark pan. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, cocoa,eggs, and vanilla until smooth.Mix the ground almonds, flour, sugar, baking powder in a medium bowl.

In a large mixing bowl beat the butter until soft and fluffy. Add the cocoa mixture and continue beating. Slowly add the ground almond, flour, sugar,baking powder, baking soda, and salt mixture and continue beating for 2 minutes.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl while beating. The batter will be thick. Scrape batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly.

Bake the cake for 50-60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean and the cake springs back when touched lightly.


When done, place the cake on a wire rack. Poke the cake all over with a wooden skewer and brush with cocoa syrup (from recipe below).

Let the cake cool for 15 minutes. Invert onto a serving plate and brush the rest of the syrup over the cake.


Cocoa Syrup

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup boiling water

1 teaspoon vanilla

optional:

2 teaspoons Kahlua*
2 teaspoons dark rum*

*you may use 4 teaspoons of either rum or Kahlua if desired


In a small saucepan, whisk together the cocoa and sugar. Add the boiling water and bring to a full boil, while stirring constantly. Turn off the heat and let cool slightly. Add the vanilla and liqueur if using. Brush on cake while the syrup is still hot.
Chocolate Rose Cake recipe, click here.

Many thanks to CSN stores.

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63 comments:

La Table De Nana said...

How can I resist telling you I LOVE this post? Cake..pan..words and all?
I am rarely so forward:) I am not getting the way to play..but please count me in :)♥I would have commented regardless..and if I didn't you would wonder why.The cake looks fabulous.

Ju (The Little Teochew) said...

That cake!!! Oh, it's beautiful beyond words! How can anyone not be in love with it???

Kathy Walker said...

Beautiful cake, wow! I love your post and I am going to love the recipe. I just happen to have the cookbook!

Suburban prep said...

Chocolate Roses what more can a girl or guy love?
This is a beautiful cake.

Zurin said...

A rose cake in chocolate...a dream..I love rosie's recipes too...I must try thi sone...your cake is simply exquisite!

Linda said...

Gorgeous cake...love the pan!
Perfect for a Valentine....:)

Karen @ Mignardise said...

I love chocolate more than anything ( except maybe my dog - and kids on most days), This looks like a fabulous recipe. I've been wanting to get that book for awhile.
So pretty - love the cake stand too.

linda said...

your cake & styling is sheer perfection diane!

emerson stated:
"friend may well be reckoned as the masterpiece of nature."
friendship & letting others know that you care is v.day...so my "blog friend" have a wonderful 2/14...

i request not to be included in this giveaway; having been the "winner" of your great "salts" giveaway (which we have been enjoying!!)... :)

Karen @ Mignardise said...

And yes, I'm a follower. I LOVE your blog - but you already knew that.

Karen @ Mignardise said...

You have been on my blogroll for quite awhile. Proud to have you there.

Anonymous said...

I love chocolate, I love cake, I love the beautiful pan and I love your blog ! That's certainly not all that I love but you probably don't care ! I would LOVE to win the pan....that would make my day !

Ms. Humble said...

I love, love, love turbinado sugar in chocolate cakes and brownies.

Ms. Humble said...

Oh and yes, I am a long time follower too :)

Shooting Stars Mag said...

Love is wanting another person to be happier than you. :)

Feel free to enter this too:

http://shootingstarsmag.blogspot.com/2010/02/you-read-my-review-now-win.html

-lauren
lauren51990 AT aol DOT com

Anonymous said...

I love your pictures of this cake. I love the description of it and your story even more. To say I love chocolate anything would not even begin to describe the feeling I have when something chocolate is melting on my tongue. Might as well face it, I'm addicted to Chocolate! (with apologies to the writer of that song)

Jennifer said...

This is soooooooooo beautiful!!! I am in love with that pan!

stormy said...

I love to make cakes that are different shapes/designs. They make beautiful conversation pieces!!

Jonnie (JB) said...

I love that cake!! It's gorgeous! ANd I'd love to win the pan to give it a whirl myself.

dftrew(at)gmail(dot)com

Jonnie (JB) said...

I becamea google friend connect folloer

dftrew(at)gmail(dot)com

Sook said...

Oh what a beautiful cake!!

Barbara said...

Super post! And I love, love, love that pan! I have to have one. Your cake recipe is divine...and just in time for Valentine's Day. Do I dare make it in a boring pan???

Deana Sidney said...

What a great cake!! Beautiful photo too!

Melanie said...

Beautiful!
I always thought that the people who said "God is love" got it backward. Maybe it's "love is god." Just always one of those tiny nagging thoughts at the back of my mind...
Although after seeing all this chocolate, maybe love is chocolate!! ^_^

Christine Whalen-Waller said...

Your creation is beautiful, Diane! And we can attest that it tastes heavenly too...You are a national treasure!

Unknown said...

WOW! I absolutely love this concept, and the cake came out so beautifully. I'll have to try this for Valentine's Day =]

kakihara said...

Wow, the cake looks lovely and delicious!!! I love chocolate, cakes, cookies, and candy. Mmmmmm sweets are gooood!! I love them and my DH and my kitty!!
kakihararocks@gmail.com

Beef Recipes said...

This is soooooo pretty!

Cheryl said...

My thoughts on love are:

I love because God first loved me.


Thanks so much for the opportunity to enter my name.

Cheryl said...

I am a follower.

Susan said...

I would make a chocolate rose, 2 of my favorite things!

Patricia @ ButterYum said...

Well, well, well... what a lovely cake pan indeed! I love Rose Levy Beranbaum's recipe and books. So nice to see you like her too.

I love that CSN has been doing so many of these giveaways! I've spent a long time looking at their website - so many goodies to have!

Thanks for hosting this giveaway - I'll take 2 chances please (comment and follower).

Happy Baking!

:)
ButterYum

Kate at Serendipity said...

Well, lemesee, I'm a follower and I have you on my blog roll. But I'm not eligible. Poop.

However, this looks like a delicious recipe! It's a gorgeous cake. Thanks for posting it.

Mia said...

What a lovely combination of favorite things! Chocolate roses and love.

Mansi said...

wow, I NEED to get my hands on that Rose-cake pan now!:) looks gorgeous, and it'd be perfect for my Valentine day giveaway! would you care to send them in for the event?

http://www.funandfoodcafe.com/2010/02/valentine-super-bowl-recipe-carnival.html

BHanson said...

I'm a follower!

BHanson said...

Loved your recent post on macaroons - I can't wait to try to make them! Your pictures are always insipiring.

PDi said...

Oh, I can't believe I'm snowed in and I do not have all the ingredients to make this cake. I finally have time to catch up on all my reading and "surfing" and now all I want to do is bake this cake! I can practically taste it! Thanks for an inspiring and scrumptious blog!

Alessa said...

I LOVE the rose pan!!!!

Unknown said...

Wow that cake looks wonderful. This would be a nice gift to give to my cousin who is getting married this summer !

Unknown said...

I'm a new follower !

Unknown said...

I also added you to my blogroll http://misfitmomma.blogspot.com/

Thanks!
seksi_missy at hotmail dot com

Jeni said...

cake looks and sounds yummy Love the pan

Sam Hoffer / My Carolina Kitchen said...

What a beautiful cake. Everything is better with a dash of rum.
Sam

Recetas al instante said...

what a pretty cake.

Regards

Olga.

V said...

Yum! I just found your blog from The Blogging Mum... I think I would LOVE to try a chocolate cake, and even more so, I'd love to try a red velvet cake... Since cake is about the only thing I can successfully bake, this looks great!

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