That sounded about right and easy enough, but I also decided I wanted to experiment with fondant.
It was going to be glorious and I had big plans for this fondant involving black food coloring and skull sculpting (my anniversary's on Halloween), but I used liquid food coloring and at best that fondant turned a dark slate GRAY that wasn't doing the trick.
I ended up going in a completely different direction, white on white, using some fondant cutters my sister had acquired on a whim.
It turned out pretty, I guess. Not what I wanted or was going for visually, but flavor-wise it was actually pretty awesome. Unfortunately, my skull was not very photogenic.
Now, I don't drink anymore. Like, AT ALL. Amaretto was out of the question, but that doesn't mean YOU can't use Amaretto. Also, fair warning, this is The Most Elaborate thing I've EVER done in my kitchen.
White Chocolate Cake
1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
~1/2 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup half & half (or milk, if you must)
1/3 cup butter, softened (if you plan on using margerine or shortening, get the hell out of my blog)
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp almond extract
4 eggs, separate whites from yolks (room temperature)
When baking cakes, I tend to add just a tiny bit more butter and sugar. It's a moisture issue. Don't add too much, or leave it alone altogether if you don't know what you're doing.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt, set aside.
Melt chocolate and 1/4 cup of H&H--you can use a double boiler or the microwave, in 30 second intervals, until fully melted and smooth. As a general rule I sneer in the direction of microwaves, but honestly, it's just more effective at the white chocolate melting thing. Add remaining H&H, set aside to cool.
Beat butter on medium-high until softened and a little fluffy. Add sugar and almond extract, mix well.
Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating until combined after each one."I love dipshit cooking instructions like "add eggs, one at a time." Alright. How many hands do YOU have?"
Alternate adding the flour mix and the melted chocolate, beating on medium-low after each addition until just combined.
Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, and fold into cake batter.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or so, give or take.
I baked this in 2 8in. round pans, cooled them for 10 min. on a rack, then unmolded them to level them with a serrated knife. Once completely cooled, to prevent the raspberry filling from seeping and bleeding, I covered the top of what would be the bottom half and the bottom of the top half with a thin layer of buttercream icing, and made a sort of... what, well? Barrier? I'm sure there's an actual name for this--a border of the same icing all around the outer edge, to keep said filling from spilling out the sides once you put the other half of the cake on top. Does that even make sense? I should have taken pictures of the process.
Spoon filling inside "well," place other half of cake on top, and spread the entire thing with buttercream frosting--just a thin layer. This is a crumb layer and it doesn't have to look perfect, the name should give you a clue as to how it will look. Refrigerate for about an hour, and then you can give it a healthier layer of buttercream.
You could decorate the cake at this point, most people prefer buttercream anyway. If you want to continue on to fondant, let this thicker layer of buttercream set in the refrigerator for about an hour as well.
Raspberry filling
6 oz fresh raspberries (average store package)
2/3 cup water (I used juuuuust under this measurement, because I was going to add... almond extract. Or Amaretto, if that's your thing)
1 Tbsp lemon juice (I also used a pinch grated lemon peel, orange peel would be nice, too)
3 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 1/2 cup of water
Combine raspberries, water, sugar, and lemon juice/peel in a saucepan and bring to a boil; simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
Remove from heat, strain, and return to simmering.
Whisk the dissolved cornstarch into the mixture, bring back to a boil, and simmer for another 5 or so minutes, stirring every now and then.
Remove from heat, add almond extract, and cool completely, giving it an occasional stir until it thickens to an almost jelly-like consistency. You'll probably have more than you need, but that's a good thing.
Buttercream frosting
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup vegetable shortening.... look, I know what I said, but shortening helps buttercream stand higher temperatures, and besides, this frosting was only going to be used as a primer here. Stop looking at me that way.
1/2 tsp almond extract (you can use vanilla, but I wanted to stay with the theme)
2 cups sifted confectioner's sugar
1 Tbsp milk
Cream butter and abomination together, add almond extract, and gradually add the sugar, about 1/2 cup at a time. It's okay if it looks a little on the dry side--once it's all mixed, add the milk and then beat until fluffy. Keep it covered with a damp towel until use or it will crust.
And then.......... the fondant.
Tara has a FANTASTIC tutorial on this here, complete with recipe, pictures and techniques.
I've never actually tasted regular rolled fondant, but I know it's got a bad rep. This stuff is actually kind of delicious, if a little sweet. I added almond extract here again--honestly, you'd think it would be overpowering at some point, but it really wasn't.
It's also worth noting that I made the fondant the night before, because they say it's easier to work with if it's had time to rest. I have to say this was one of the most FUN substances I've ever worked with in the kitchen. This recipe made more than twice what I needed to cover this cake, by the way.
Enjoy.
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