All-New Cake Mix Doctor - Anne Byrn [69]
Recipe Reminders
MADE FOR
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PREP NOTES
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DON’T FORGET
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SPECIAL TOUCHES
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5. Transfer the cake pans to wire racks and let the cake layers cool for 5 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edge of each cake layer and give the pans a good shake to loosen the cakes. Invert each layer onto a wire rack, then invert it again onto another rack so that the cakes are right side up. Let the layers cool completely, 20 minutes longer.
6. To assemble the cake, using a long, serrated knife, slice each cake layer in half horizontally to make 4 layers (or leave as 2 layers, see Notes). Brush the cut side of each layer with ½ teaspoon of rum, if desired. Place the bottom half of one layer cut side up on a cake plate and spoon a third of the filling, about 11/3 cups, on top. Spread the filling evenly nearly to the edge. Place the top half of this layer, right side up, over the filling. Add another third of the filling, spreading it nearly to the edge. Place the bottom of the remaining cake layer on top and spread it with the remaining filling, nearly to the edge. Place the top half of the second layer, right side up, on top of the filling. Cover the cake with a cake saver dome or tent it with aluminum foil and place it in the refrigerator to chill while you make the icing.
7. Make the chocolate icing: Place the chopped chocolate and butter in a medium-size microwave-safe glass bowl in the microwave on high power for 1 minute, then remove the bowl and stir until melted (you may need to return the bowl to the microwave for 15 seconds longer for the chocolate to be fully melted). Stir in the 6 tablespoons of milk or cream, the corn syrup, 2 teaspoons of vanilla, and the 2½ cups of confectioners’ sugar. Beat with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until the icing is smooth and satiny, 1 to 2 minutes.
8. Remove the cake from the refrigerator. Pour the icing over the top of the cake and, using a metal spatula, guide it down the side of the cake, smoothing the top first, then the side. Cover the cake and place it back in the refrigerator until time to serve, at least 20 minutes.
Keep It Fresh! Store this cake, in a cake saver or under a glass cake dome, in the refrigerator for up to four days. Freeze only the layers, wrapped in aluminum foil, for up to six months. Let the layers thaw overnight on the counter, before making the filling and icing and assembling the cake.
Notes: You can use either light or dark rum here. Or, you can substitute 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract for the rum in the filling.
If you decide to make this a 2-layer cake, you’ll need less filling. Just divide the ingredients in half, using 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons cocoa powder.
Cocoa Powder Tips
The cocoa powder used in baking is most often unsweetened. And you can choose either regular cocoa or Dutch-processed. Many people believe that Dutch-processed has a deeper chocolate flavor than regular cocoa, and especially in some frostings, it does. But it is also a darker brown-gray color, and from an aesthetic standpoint this color isn’t always the best choice in baking. Remember, we eat with our eyes first! Regular cocoa has a warmer, more earthy shade of brown. If you use Dutch-processed cocoa in the whipped cream filling for the Chocolate Rum Icebox Cake, it will turn the filling gray. Your better choice is regular Hershey’s cocoa, which will make a soft tannish-brown filling.
If you use Dutch-processed cocoa when you are making a frosting, it will be a dark brown, something