Christmas Cake II

Christmas Cake II: A Sweet Holiday Experience

Christmas is a magical time, and this Christmas Cake II is definitely a star of the festive table. This year, I had the joy of preparing it with my little godson, a tiny one just 4 months old, who brought a special light and joy. By sharing this recipe with you, I hope to bring a touch of magic to your kitchen.

Total Preparation Time: 2 hours
Baking Time: 80 minutes
Number of Servings: 12

Ingredients

For the White Base:
- 6 eggs
- 250 g sugar
- 300 g flour
- 10 tablespoons of boiled water
- 1 packet baking powder
- A pinch of salt
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Grated zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon
- Vanilla essence

For the Black Base:
- 100 g dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
- 50 g milk chocolate
- 100 g butter at room temperature
- 5 eggs
- A pinch of salt
- 100 g walnuts (ground)
- 100 g flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon coffee powder
- 1 tablespoon raisins
- 1 tablespoon rum
- 2 tablespoons cognac
- 100 g sugar
- Juice of 1 lemon
- A pinch of cardamom (optional)

For the Chocolate Cream:
- 200 g dark chocolate
- 700 ml liquid cream (200 ml for glazing)
- 1-2 tablespoons cognac

For the Filling:
- 1 peach compote (for syrup)
- 1 pineapple compote (for syrup)
- 1 packet Dr. Oetker cream with truffles and rum
- 2 Milka chocolates (with coffee, caramel, strawberries, cherries)

Preparing the White Base

1. Mixing the Yolks: In a large bowl, mix the yolks with the sugar and a pinch of salt. Gradually add boiled water, stirring until you obtain a fluffy cream.
2. Flavors: Add the citrus zest, vanilla essence, and lemon juice to enhance the flavors.
3. Preparing the Flour: Sift the flour with the baking powder and gradually add it to the yolk mixture. If the dough becomes hard to mix, you can add a tablespoon of beaten egg whites (which will make the dough fluffier).
4. Beating the Egg Whites: In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with lemon juice until firm peaks form. Ensure that the bowl is perfectly clean; you can use half a lemon to clean the bowl's walls.
5. Combining the Mixtures: Gently fold the beaten egg whites into the yolk mixture, mixing from the bottom up.
6. Baking: Pour the mixture into a greased and lined cake pan. Bake at medium heat for 40-60 minutes, testing with a toothpick.

Preparing the Black Base

1. Preparing the Nuts: Grind some of the lightly toasted walnuts and leave some chopped for texture.
2. Hydrating the Raisins: Soak the raisins in rum and cognac for an hour.
3. Mixing the Yolks: Mix the yolks with the sugar until fluffy.
4. Beating the Egg Whites: Proceed as with the white base.
5. Melting the Chocolate: Melt the chocolate in the microwave in one-minute intervals, stirring in between.
6. Combining the Mixtures: Add the melted chocolate and butter to the yolk mixture, followed by the walnuts, raisins, and flour. Fold in the beaten egg whites as before.
7. Baking: Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and bake as with the white base.

Preparing the Chocolate Cream

1. Heating the Cream: Heat the liquid cream and dark chocolate over low heat until the chocolate melts. Let it cool and then refrigerate overnight.
2. Beating: The next day, whip the cold cream until fluffy.

Assembling the Cake

1. Preparing the Syrups: Use the juices from the peach and pineapple compotes to soak the layers.
2. Layering the White Base: Place the first white base in the pan, soak it with peach juice, and add the coffee cream.
3. Layering the Black Base: Place the unsoaked black base and add the cherry cream.
4. Continuing the Layering: Repeat the process with the remaining layers, alternating between the two types of base and various Milka creams.
5. Glazing: Use the remaining chocolate cream to cover the cake, ensuring it is smooth.

Serving Suggestions

For an elegant decoration, you can add candied fruits or chocolate flakes on top of the cake. Serve it alongside a cup of coffee or a glass of sweet wine, which will perfectly complement the flavor of this extravagant dessert.

Practical Tips

- Heating the Ingredients: Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature for a uniform mixture.
- Moisture Control: The cake keeps better in the fridge, covered, but not more than 3 days.
- Variations: You can try different flavors for the creams or add fresh fruits between layers.

Nutritional Benefits

This cake, although rich in calories, also offers nutritional benefits due to the content of nuts, which are a good source of healthy fats and proteins. Dark chocolate contains antioxidants, and fruits provide an important supply of vitamins.

Frequently Asked Questions

- Can I replace dark chocolate with milk chocolate?: Yes, but the cake will taste sweeter.
- Can I use other types of alcohol to hydrate the raisins?: Absolutely! Cognac or whiskey are excellent alternatives.
- How can I make the cake lighter?: You can replace the chocolate cream with simple whipped cream to reduce calories.

Now that you have all the necessary details, you are ready to prepare an unforgettable Christmas Cake II. Enjoy every step and, most importantly, the time spent with loved ones. Enjoy your meal!

White base: The yolks are beaten with sugar and salt, adding a tablespoon of water from time to time until a cream-like consistency is obtained. The yolks are sprinkled with salt, essence, and citrus zest. Separately, flour is mixed with baking powder, then sifted and gradually added to the yolk mixture. If the dough is difficult to work with, you can add a tablespoon or two of egg whites alternating with flour and mixing from the bottom up. The bowl for beating the egg whites must be very clean, and the walls should be greased with half a lemon to remove any traces of grease. The egg whites should be taken out of the fridge the night before. Separate the egg whites from the yolks using your palms to ensure the yolk doesn’t break. The egg whites are beaten until frothy with lemon juice, initially at a lower speed for a few minutes, then increase the speed. The dough will have the consistency of a fluffy and airy brioche. A cake mold is greased and lined, and the mixture is baked at a moderate temperature for 40-60 minutes. Perform the toothpick test, and when it’s ready, let it cool in the oven with the door slightly open to prevent the base from collapsing. Then, the cooled base is cut into three. Black base: Some of the slightly roasted walnuts are finely ground while others are left larger. The walnuts should be peeled of their bitter skin. The raisins are soaked for an hour in cognac and rum. The yolks are gradually beaten with sugar. The egg whites are beaten until frothy with lemon juice just like for the white base. The chocolate is melted for 1 minute in the microwave, then stirred and put back for another minute. The butter at room temperature is mixed, then added to the beaten yolks. Melted chocolate is added to this mixture. The flour is sifted twice together with the baking powder. Coffee, walnuts, and raisins with their cognac are added to the yolk mixture, and gradually a tablespoon of flour and one of egg whites are incorporated quickly from the bottom up. The mixture is placed in a lined cake mold and baked for about 40-60 minutes. It may be soft in the middle due to the chocolate, but if the edges are set, it’s done; perform the toothpick test. Let it cool a bit in the oven with the door slightly open to prevent the base from collapsing. Cut into three. Chocolate creams: the same amount of whipped cream as chocolate is heated until the chocolate melts. When cooled, it is refrigerated until the next day when it is whipped. Assembling the base from bottom to top: 1) white base soaked with peach juice / Milka coffee pleasure cream 2) black base unsoaked / Milka cherry cream 3) white base soaked with peach juice / Milka strawberry cream / small diced strawberry chocolate on the cream 4) black base unsoaked / Milka caramel cream 5) white base soaked with pineapple juice / Milka coffee cream 6) black base / 1/2 of the cream powder from Dr. Oetker with truffles and rum, with the rest covering the entire cake 7) white base soaked with pineapple juice / ganache cream from two dark chocolates with 2 tablespoons of cognac. The layer was made with 1/2 white chocolate and turned out a bit thin; next time, use 100g of white chocolate.

 Ingredients: 1 peach compote 1 pineapple compote 1 packet Dr. Oetker cream with truffles and rum 700 ml liquid cream, 200 for glazing and 500 for the cream 200 g dark chocolate 70% cocoa for ganache 2 tablespoons of cognac for ganache 2 Milka chocolates with coffee 1 caramel chocolate 2 strawberry chocolates 1 cherry chocolate I added a little coffee essence to hydrate the raisins Besides rum and cognac, I added a handful of raisins to the black layer and one to the white layer White layer: 6 eggs 250 g sugar 300 g flour 10 tablespoons of boiled water 1 baking powder A pinch of salt Lemon juice Orange and lemon zest Vanilla essence Juice from an apricot compote (apricot or pineapple compote is most suitable for soaking the layer) Chocolate layer: 100 g dark chocolate 50 g milk chocolate 100 g butter 5 eggs at room temperature A pinch of salt 100 g walnuts 100 g flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1 teaspoon coffee powder 1 tablespoon of raisins 1 tablespoon rum 2 tablespoons cognac 100 g sugar Lemon juice A pinch of cardamom, a knife tip

 Tags:  chocolate cake