slice of life

There are a lot of pieces of equipment and several utensils that I covet from the bakery, and I'm slowly but surely purchasing and procuring my very own collection of them.

One item that's been on that list since I began working there is the round-tip slicer knife that's perfect for cutting cakes in half horizontally and also comes in handy for dividing tall cakes into smooth, cleanly sliced wedges. I was given the chance by The Chef's Emporium to pick one item from their large inventory to review, and while their extensive collection of aprons was tempting, when I saw the Granton slicer knife, I didn't hesitate to choose it.

If you're interested in reading one of the most kind and blush-inducing blurbs ever written about yours truly, immediately head over to the knife page at The Chef's Emporium. I'm referred to as a charmer of note, would you believe it? Now, I won't bore you with the technical details or product specifications of the beautiful knife I promptly received, but I will tell you that it functions impressively well. I didn't realize that its intended use is for slicing thin, even pieces of meat without causing shredding or tearing, but that's great. All I know is that it slices a cake smoothly and leaves no undesirable jagged surfaces.

My new knife's initiation into my kitchen was with the showstopper I've featured here, a chocolate cake filled with a raspberry and white chocolate mousse and frosted with ganache. All modesty aside (I mean, did you read the blurb yet?), this is an outstanding cake. The layers of chocolate cake are already moist and tender, and they become even more so with a slathering of raspberry sauce. The raspberry white chocolate mousse is so delicious, and in addition to contributing an amazing flavor and a nice color contrast, it also serves to hold that wonderfully crumbed cake together. The ganache takes the cake into absolute decadence, and I always appreciate the clean, shiny finish that it provides.

I can state with certainty that I'll be looking for more reasons to make this mousse and that I love this knife and will use it any and every time I slice a cake. Heck, I may even try it with meat too...

Black and White and Red All Over Cake
Ingredients:
Mousse:

• 10 ounces raspberries, fresh or thawed from frozen
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons orange liqueur or juice
• 1-3/4 cups heavy cream
• 6 ounces white chocolate, chopped
• 1 drop red food coloring

Ganache:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup
• 14 ounces (2-1/3 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 ounces softened butter

One batch of chocolate cake
Fresh raspberries, for garnish

Directions:
First, make the mousse so it can chill. Beat up the berries in a blender or food processor until smooth, then strain the mixture into a small bowl and discard the seeds. Add the sugar and liqueur or juice and stir until all the sugar dissolves.
In a heavy saucepan on low heat, warm 1/4 cup of the cream and the white chocolate, stirring constantly until the chocolate melts. Let mixture cool to lukewarm, then stir in 1 tablespoon of the raspberry sauce and the food coloring. Transfer to a large bowl.
In a medium bowl, whip remaining 1-1/2 cups cream to medium peaks. Fold into the melted and cooled chocolate mixture, one-third at a time, until no streaks remain.
Make the cake as directed and let it cool completely. While this is happening, you can make your ganache. Simply bring the cream and corn syrup to a simmer in a small saucepan, then pour it over the chocolate chips and butter. Let that combination sit for a few minutes, then whisk it all together until it becomes smooth. Set it aside and let it firm up to a spreadable consistency, stirring occasionally. You can pop it in the fridge to speed the process along, but don't take it too far!
Now we can assemble. You can place the cakes in the freezer for a bit to make them easier to slice horizontally, which is what must happen next. Do so carefully and position each of the four layers with the cut side up. Brush each exposed section of cake with the remainder of your raspberry sauce, then divide the mousse into thirds and slather just three of the cakes with a third each. Carefully stack your moussed cakes then put the final layer on top, cut side down. Spread the firmed ganache all over the sides and top of the cake, then pipe a decorative border and adorn with raspberries, if desired. Let the cake sit for an hour or two in the fridge to bring everything together, but serve it at room temperature.

*While I did receive that glorious knife free of charge from The Chef's Emporium, the opinions stated in this post are my own. Also, let it be known that I paid them nothing to say those awesomely sweet words about me.