CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN CAKE with CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN GANACHE: Perfect for Fall!

I love chocolate sites: to buy chocolate, to learn about chocolate, and for recipes. Chuao Chocolatier is one of my favorite chocolate companies. I particularly like their specialty bars, so I was pleased to see this recipe on their site for Chocolate Pumpkin Cake with Chocolate Pumpkin Ganache. This cake really spices up the fall dessert table! The best part: There are pumpkin spice s'mores bars in the pumpkin spice cake. Yum. The original recipe calls for a salty-sweet, spiced pumpkin milk chocolate drizzle. That does take it over the top, but you can leave it off, as I have. Still, I'm including the recipe in case you want to take this cake up a notch. What's great about this recipe is that it's so easy! Except for the Pumpkin Spice S'mores bars, you probably have everything in your pantry. This recipe on Chuao is by Ashley Schuering at www.confessionsofagroceryaddict.com

CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN GANACHE

Ingredients

4 Chuao Chocolatier Pumpkin Spice S’mores Bars, divided - peel the pumpkin spice marshmallows off the bars to mix into the chocolate pumpkin cake batter. the remaining bars should be divided and chopped into small, chocolate chip-sized pieces. you’ll need 2 each for the cake and the pumpkin ganache.

3 Cups all-purpose flour - basic white flour is perfect for bundt cakes. feel free to replace up to one cup with whole wheat flour or graham flour for a nuttier flavor.

4.5 Teaspoons pumpkin pie spices.

1.5 Teaspoons baking soda + 0.5 teaspoon baking powder - for leavening.

1 Teaspoon kosher salt - a touch of salt helps awaken the chocolate and pumpkin flavors. Sustitute fine sea salt, if that's what you have.

1 Cup neutral oil - heart-healthy avocado oil or canola oil?

2.5 Cups granulated sugar - white sugar’s neutral sweetness is best for the full flavors of this pumpkin spice chocolate.  You can also use an equal amount of granulated cane sugar, caster sugar, or superfine sugar.

3 Llarge eggs, room temperature - for binding the cake batter and adding moisture.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract - for aromatic warmth. you can use an equal amount of vanilla paste or powder instead.

1 15-oz Can pumpkin purée - make sure you’re grabbing 100% real pumpkin, not canned pumpkin pie mix.

2/3 Cup heavy cream - at a minimum 36% milk fat, heavy cream offers the best mouthfeel for ganache. you’re welcome to use slightly lighter whipping cream, full-fat canned coconut milk, or vegan whipping cream if you prefer.

Cake Directions

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350ºf. spray a 10-12-cup bundt cake pan with floured nonstick spray.
step 

2. Dry ingredients: Add 3 cups flour, 4.5 teaspoons pumpkin spice, 1.5 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 0.5 teaspoon baking powder to a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine. 

3. Wet Ingredients: Add 1 cup oil and 2.5 cups sugar to a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer to combine. add 3 eggs (one at a time) beating well after each addition. Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 15-oz can of pumpkin purée to the bowl and beat to combine.

4. Incorporate: Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, working in about 3 additions. Beat until the batter is free from any pockets of the dry mixture, but be careful not to over-mix. 

5. Fold in the pumpkin spice marshmallows from all 4 chocolate bars, as well as the chopped pieces of 2 chocolate bars.

6. Bake: Pour the pumpkin chocolate chip cake batter into the prepared pan. rap the pan firmly against the countertop to remove any air bubbles. Bake in the preheated oven for 55-65 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean of any batter. (you may get some gooey marshmallow or melty chocolate depending where you poke.)

7. Make ganache. While the chocolate chip pumpkin bundt cake bakes, heat ⅔ cup cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. as soon as it reaches a soft boil, remove the pan from heat and pour it over the pieces from the remaining two chocolate bars in a small mixing bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes to melt, then whisk together until mostly smooth. (the graham pieces will give it some texture.) Set aside to cool.

8. Cool the cake in the bundt pan for about 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to finish cooling. 

Drizzle Directions 

1. Once the cake is cooled and the ganache has thickened but is still pourable, spoon the ganache over the top, gently coaxing it to drizzle down the sides. work slowly. You may need to apply the ganache in a few coats, as it will drip off if you work too quickly.

2. Chill. Allow the ganache to cool off and set up at room temperature for about an hour or two before serving. Once firm, slice, serve, and enjoy!

Tips (these are great tips for lots of cakes!) Thanks, Ashley & Chuao

Grease your bundt pan well, making sure to get into every nook and cranny. if you don’t have baking spray with flour, use butter or oil to grease the pan, then sprinkle in a few spoonfuls of flour. Rotate the pan around, ensuring you can see every spot is covered—you don’t want the chocolate pumpkin bundt cake to break apart when you flip the pan!

Room-temperature eggs will mix into your batter more easily. Let them set out for about 30 minutes before you start baking

Don’t overmix the batter. as soon as the dry ingredients are incorporated, stop. Use a wooden spoon or silicone spatula to fold in the chocolate to prevent overmixing, which can cause the cake to become tough.

Let the cake and ganache cool till they’re barely warm before adding the chocolate glaze. You can also freeze the cake for about 20 minutes before starting the process. The cold will help the ganache to solidify without so much dripping off!

Place the wire rack over a parchment-lined surface to collect the ganache as it drips off the cake. As each layer sets, scrape the drippings into a bowl, warm slightly as needed to reach a spoonable consistency, and add another layer. any extra ganache leftover at the end will be delicious over ice cream or as an added drizzle during serving!

Play it Cool: Chocolate Drinks!

The San Francisco Bay Area is sweltering. O.K. you may live in an area where it's 120 degrees/100 percent humidity, but here in the Bay Area, when it hits 100 degrees with 60% humidity we're fainting left and right. So I thought it was time to do a fun post which highlights two different chocolatiers and their recipes for Cool (in both senses of the word) Chocolate Drinks.

The first is from Chuao. If you haven't tried their chocolate, you're in for a treat. They have some very fun chocolate bars such as Potato Chip, Firecracker, and Rocky Road.  For this Chocolate Frappe Recipe, use Chuao Drinking Chocolate. It comes in a cute tin or a larger 5 pound bag...either Spicy Maya (which in bar form is one of my favorites) or Deluxious Dark.  I've tried this with both!

And, then today I got another recipe for Ice Ice Baby from MarieBelle New York. I have their fabulous Dark Hot Chocolate Mix, and I'm going to make this tonight. Of course, if you're in New York, they'll mix this up for you at their shop! Be sure and try truffles, bars and more! Yum!

Chuao Hot Chocolate

On days like this, I love to sit in front of the fire with a good book and sip some fine hot chocolate. So many choices out there. I tried a lot of hot chocolate, sipping chocolate, and cocoa at the San Francisco Fancy Food Show. One of my favorites was the Abuela Hot Chocolate from Chuao. It was smooth, rich with a lingering finish. I could have drunk the whole vat, but I was trying to leave room for all the other chocolate at the show.


(Photo of Frank Price, VP TeamBuilding Unlimited, and Chef Michael Antonorsi)

I'm not surprised I liked it so much, because I really enjoy Chuao Chocolate. We use the Spicy Maya Bar (pasilla chile and cayenne pepper) in our Chocolate Tastings as an example of the original Mayan chocolate beverage. Of course, the Chuao has sugar in it--much more palatable to our 21st century taste.

Chuao Chocolatier (pronounced chew-WOW) is the first Venezuelan Chocolatier based in the United States (headquartered in San Diego). Chuao was founded in 2002 by master chef Michael Antonorsi and his brother Richard Antonorsi, the company's CEO. Chuao Chocolatier is pioneering “fusion chocolate” by creating unusual, unexpected and delicious flavors using their secret blend of premium chocolate and fresh natural ingredients.

The Venezuelan born brothers, now San Diego residents, named the company Chuao Chocolatier after the legendary cacao-producing region of Chuao located in central Venezuela. Chuao does not boast of single-plantation beans or specific vintages, but they rely on Venzuelan Criollo beans. Chocolate is part of their roots, as their ancestors once ran a small family farm that was an important part of the criollo cacao plantation industry.

If you're not a purist, Chuao makes lots of different types of chocolates including truffles with unusual ganaches such as Zen with Green tea-infused ginger ganache (Talk about healthy!) and Muslu centred around cinnnamon and Grand Marnier (not quite as healthy but delicious). Unusual flavor combinations are at the heart of Chuao Chocolatier’s unique experience including: Firecracker, a chipotle caramel fudge truffle with popping candy, a hint of salt, and dark chocolate and Pan Con Chocolate, a dark chocolate bonbon filled with roasted Panko bread crumbs and olive oil ganache with a touch of sea salt.

But back to hot chocolate. Chuao offers three different types: Spicy Maya Hot Chocolate (pasilla chiles, cayenne pepers and cinnamon with their premium blend of dark chocolate), the Abuela Hot Chocolate (a family tradition made from Grandma's strict recipe blending the rich and deep flavors of Venezuelan bittersweet chocolates) and Winter Hot Chocolate (Venezuelan bittersweet chocolate with ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and pepper). As I said, my favorite is the Abuela Hot chocolate. If you're a hot chocolate drinker, you must try this. A Real Wow From Chuao!