Sunday, August 22, 2010

Sex & Candy Cake and Sweet, Sweet Violation Martini


Dante has taunted me for a second time.

This time it was in response to a Friday Recitation referencing the infamous song by Marcy Playground "Sex & Candy". Ah, that certainly brings back memories of high school. And, no, not *those* kinds of memories.

This was definitely a challenge. How in the world am I to capture the smell of sex and candy? More importantly, how can I do this in an appetizing manner to such a wide audience?

When people think of sex and candy, chocolate has to be involved somehow, so I knew that needed to be incorporated. And store bought candy is too cliché, so I made a note to make some myself that could be molded to whatever I ended up making. People are also normally aroused by the exotic, so sweet fruits were also listed. I started searching for recipes with these ingredients and soon found my answer: Passion Fruit & Mango Chocolate Cake. Awwhh, yeeeah.

Sex & Candy Cake
Mango slices give you a peek of what's inside.

But this wasn't good enough. It needed to be even sexier. Then I found a chocolate mirror glaze, so clear you can see yourself - ok, I won't go there.

Sex & Candy Cake
With the Passion Fruit Hard Candy.

I can tell you one thing - this cake got plenty of foreplay. It has a lot of steps and needs wooing before it's ready to assemble and enjoy. If you've been following along this past week, you'll have the instructions for making the ghee, cream, and butter. That's right baby, everything is made from scratch. You can't expect to get any love in return if you don't put in the effort.

Sex & Candy Cake
A slice of naked cake.

I decided to create the cake over several days, which was more exciting and less exhausting than trying to do everything at once. Sadly, my local markets are not carrying passion fruit, so I had to use juice. And I attempted to make organic hard candy this past Spring, but that didn't go too well, so hard candy is the first recipe you'll see on the blog using non-organic ingredients. I also took it off the burner a little too soon since I was so afraid of burning it, but the freezer is a great back-up for hardening the candy.

This was quite the experience and it certainly was sexy with all the different types of chocolate and exotic fruit aromas lingering in the air. And the taste. Oh, goodness, the taste. The cake is very light and soaks up the Mango Syrup beautifully. Plus your teeth sink through all the different layers as you begin to taste and feel all the layers melting together. And the hard candy was kept to the back of the cake so eating the cake first remained sexy and not messy, but it's a nice treat to suck on and allow all those layers of chocolate to linger in your mouth. And that martini is certain to make any situation both sweet and sexy. Between the chocolate, sweet fruits, vodka, and spiced rum - you'll have anyone smiling after these two delicacies.

Sex & Candy Cake
Oh, my. It's getting a little hot in here...the candy is melting.

All in all, this sexy cake and martini were easier than making Peppermint Fried Stork. I hope they exceed your expectations. They certainly satisfied mine. Now what to do with all this leftover chocolate ganache...

Sex & Candy Cake
Printable Recipe

Day 1

Passion Fruit & Mango Curd

3 egg yolks
1/2 cup turbinado
3 tbsp butter
1/3 cup passion fruit juice
1/4 cup mango purée

Passion Fruit & Mango Curd

In a small sauce pan, whisk together the yolks, turbinado, and butter.

Passion Fruit & Mango Puree

Add the passion fruit juice and cook over medium-low heat for several minutes. The water needs to evaporate until the curd begins to thickly coat the back of the mixing spoon.

Passion Fruit & Mango Puree

Next, pour the curd through a strainer.


Mango Puree

Then add the mango purée and mix together well.

Passion Fruit & Mango Puree

Cover with plastic wrap touching the curd and place in the refrigerator for at least three hours, although the curd will keep for several days.

Passion Fruit Hard Candy

2 cups white sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup passion fruit juice

candy thermometer
mold

Passion Fruit Hard Candy

Prepare molds beforehand.

Passion Fruit Hard Candy

In a small sauce pan equipped with a candy thermometer over high heat, whisk together the sugar, corn syrup, and water. Once blended, allow the mixture to boil, but do not stir anymore. The mixture needs to reach 300*F. Once it has reached the hard crack stage, remove from the heat and add the passion fruit juice and blend evenly.

Passion Fruit Hard Candy

Quickly pour the mixture into a greased mold and allow to set until cool.

Day Two

Chocolate Génoise Cake

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup organic cocoa powder
6 large eggs
1 cup turbinado
4 1/2 tbsp ghee
1 1/2 tsp vanilla


Buttered Pan

Preheat the oven to 350*F. Butter a 9" cake pan and place a layer of parchment paper on the bottom and also butter.

Preparing Chocolate Genoise Cake

Sift the flour into a large bowl.

Preparing Chocolate Genoise Cake

Then sift the cocoa powder into the bowl.

Preparing Chocolate Genoise Cake

Then sift the flour and cocoa until the mixture is evenly blended.

Preparing Chocolate Genoise Cake

Next, in a medium sauce pan, whisk the eggs and turbinado together over medium-low heat. The mixture must be whisked the entire time to prevent the eggs from cooking. Remove from the stove once the mixture is warm to the touch, which should take 7-10 min. (Do not rush this step - plus your arms could use the workout.)

Chocolate Genoise Cake Batter

Then carefully sift and fold the dry ingredients into the mixture in thirds to prevent lumps from forming. Next whisk in the warm ghee and vanilla, still stirring constantly to prevent the eggs from cooking, until the batter is smooth and all ingredients are evenly incorporated.

Chocolate Genoise Cake Batter

Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 25 min. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool for 10 min.

Chocolate Genoise Cake

Transfer the cake to a cooling rack, remembering to remove the parchment paper, and allow it to cool completely. The cake can remain stored overnight on the counter if covered.

Chocolate Ganache

1 cup cream
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
12 oz bittersweet chocolate

Preparing Chocolate Ganache

Place a small sauce pan over low heat half filled with water and allow it to steam.

Preparing Chocolate Ganache

Pour all ingredients into a medium metal bowl and melt over a steam bath for 17-20 min, stirring occasionally and allowing some of the water from the cream to steam off.

Chocolate Ganache

Remove the ganache from the stove and bring it to room temperature on the counter; then cover and place in the refrigerator until time to use. Remove it from the refrigerator at least one hour before needed so it is easier to manipulate.

Mango Syrup

1 vanilla bean
3/4 cup turbinado
2/3 cup mango purée

Organic Vanilla Bean

Slice the vanilla bean in half and gently scrap out the seeds.

Organic Vanilla Bean & Turbinado

In a small sauce pan, pour in the turbinado and add the vanilla seeds and bean. Stir in the mango purée until no dry turbinado remains.

Boiling Mango Syrup

Place over medium-high heat and allow the mixture to boil for 3-5min without stirring.

Mango Syrup

Remove from the heat and transfer to a glass bowl. Allow it to reach room temperature before placing in the refrigerator. Before using, allow the syrup to reach room temperature and remove the vanilla bean.

Day Three

Lacquer Chocolate Glaze

1/4 cup cold water
2 tsp agar agar
2/3 cup turbinado
1/3 cup water
1 1/4 tbsp honey
3/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1/3 cup cream

In a small bowl, mix cold water and agar agar together and set aside.

Making Lacquer Chocolate Glaze

In a small sauce pan over medium-high heat, melt together the turbinado and water. Once melted, mix in honey and then cocoa with a whisk until smooth.

Making Lacquer Chocolate Glaze

Return the pan to the stove set on medium-high heat and stir in the cream. Once boiling, remove from the stove and strain into a medium bowl. Allow it to cool for 12-15 min.

Lacquer Chocolate Glaze

Then mix in the gelatin mixture and allow the glaze to reach room temperature before using.

Assembly

Building The Cake

Using a long knife, carefully level the top of the cake in small patches. Use your hand the feel if the cake is level.

Building The Cake

Take the knife and make a shallow cut around the entire cake. Keep the tip of the knife on the outside of the cake and make deeper cuts. Rotate the cake in a circle until it both pieces are separated.

Building The Cake

Building The Cake

Brush the Mango Syrup onto the bottom layer of the cake.

Building The Cake

Take the Chocolate Ganache out of the refrigerator and spoon it into a plastic zip top bag with a corner cut off. Pipe the ganache around the rim of the cake about half an inch from the edge.

Building The Cake

Pour in the Passion Fruit & Mango Curd and level with a knife.

Building The Cake

Place on the top layer of the cake and tuck in some wax paper under the edges. Then pour on the Lacquer Chocolate Glaze.

Chocolate Genoise Cake with Glaze

Chocolate Genoise Cake with Glaze

The glaze will settle in a few minutes, then the wax paper can be removed to reveal clean edges for presentation. The cake will likely need to be put in the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes at this point since the ganache will become soft and spread. This cake cannot sit out for long periods of time from all the different soft layers.

~Recipes adapted from Café Fernando: Passion Fruit, Mango and Chocolate Cake & L'Orange.


And like Dante mentioned, such a sexy cake cannot stand alone. This martini is sweet in more ways than one.

Sweet, Sweet Violation Martini
Printable Recipe

thin slice of mango
fine turbinado sugar
1 oz spiced rum
1 oz vodka
1 oz passion fruit juice
3 oz mango juice

Sweet, Sweet Violation Martini

Using a piece of mango, rub it along the rim of a martini glass and dip the glass into fine turbinado sugar. Add the rum through mango juice and lightly stir. Garnish with a strip of mango and enjoy.


~Original by Brie.

44 comments:

  1. They exceed, they exceed! Fabulous... truly a delight both the cake and the martini :)

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  2. I don't think I've had mango and chocolate together before, but it sounds and looks delicious! This martini would go so well in my weekend :)

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  3. Wow, that looks simply amazing and great picture of your martini, it's beautiful.

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  4. This may be the best cake I've ever seen and the second that prompts me to want to make it based on name and ingredients alone! And I think my girlfriend will like this even more than the better than sex cake we made!
    You're wonderfulness abounds!

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  5. *Your
    (sorry, my ability to spell and proofread drops to about 1% after a night of no sleep.

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  6. "You're" could have worked if you drop the "s" from the end of "abounds". ;-)

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  7. Holy Stromboli girl!! This post is epic. So so so impressed with all that homemade goodness, and your captions were killing me. Hilarious.

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  8. This is a real masterpiece! What a fait accomplis! As a side note: my oldest daughter went to highschool with the first cousin of the lead singer of Marcy Playground. He was a very nice young man who gave us all tickets and backstage VIP passes to the Horde Fest when it was in Cincinnati. It was a blast because I have pictures of my daughters, their friend and her mom and myself on the tour bus. Pictures of us with Billy Corrigan (of Smashing Pumpkins) and pictures with The Bare Naked Ladies. It was a great time!

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  9. Sounds absolutely delicious! And pretty much sums up sex & candy. :)

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  10. Hangin' round downtown by myself / And I had so much time / To sit and think about THIS AWESOME CAKE!!! =O Nicely done...

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  11. Ahhh, I just made two layer cakes myself in the last few days and so I can appreciate all your hard work here! Looks like the final product was definitely worth the effort, and the ingredient combinations are so imaginative, great work!!! :)

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  12. Oh, wow, this cake sounds absolutely heavenly with chocolate, passion fruit and mango! Amazing!!!

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  13. I'm waiting on you to come down. You handle the cake and I'll handle the Martinis. Yum-Yum!

    Have you left yet?

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  14. that drizzle is so good! you have outdone yourself!

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  15. fantastic photos!!

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  16. Oh what an amazing job you did here! That cake is a masterpiece coming out of the best patisserie in France! Great photos too!

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  17. I ... I... I'm too awestruck for real words. Wow. Thank you for sharing.

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  18. This is stunning, and what a cooking lesson. But where does the candy go? Am I suffering some perceptual problem that I'm not able to see it? Sorry!

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  19. I wish I was of age so I could try that martini.

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  20. Yes, Brie! Tell us what to do with the hard candy! Or did you decide to not include it in the cake after all?

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  21. thank you all for the wonderful comments! i'm glad everyone is happy with the cake and martini. :)

    @Deborah & Nick - photos 3 & 5 have the passion fruit candy on the cake. since the candy has little color, it may be hard to see, but it's there!

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  22. This looks and sounds really sexy! Thanks for the detailed instructions.

    Angie

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  23. I'm doing this recipe today, baking individual cakes in 3.5" thali dishes. I'm assuming the ghee and vanilla go in to sugar/egg mixture before mixing with the dry ingredients. My one request is for weight measures of dry ingredients instead of volumes.

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  24. @lonewolftek great catch! that entire paragraph was missing! i've added those steps back in - thank you! and i have been thinking about adding weight or gram measurements to my recipe, but have not made a formal decision yet. i will be making a few updates soon and it's at the top of the list, so thank you for letting me know it will be useful! i hope the cakes come out delicious and i'd love to hear back from you - thanks again!

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  25. Hello, my first comment didn't seem to post, so I'm trying again.

    I am contemplating making this for my girlfriend's birthday, but she doesn't like mango. One fruit I know she likes is strawberry... is there any significant adjustment I'd have to make?

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  26. Hello! Nope, you can just puree fresh strawberries in place of the mango and keep following the recipe. No other adjustments needed! Extra points for wanting to make a homemade cake for her birthday! Feel free to send me an email if you have other questions. Good luck!

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  27. While it would be organic, I'm hoping the Ganache should contain Cloves, not Clover!

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  28. awesome catch, anonymous. extra points. correction made. ;)

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