The new Ruins cake

Before Shavuot, I posted a suggested dairy menu for the holiday which included a recipe for a cake called The Ruins of the Lord’s Castle.

In the interest of full disclosure, I had never made the cake, although I did eat it back in 1992 when I got the recipe.  Then, last Shabbat, after a couple of weeks of the Cap’n cooking and eating food from the freezer, I experienced a burst of energy and animal spirits, and decided to make the cake.  I had a few adjustments to make: my favorite mocha rum cake in place of the sour cream chocolate cake; finding a substitute for the dried fruit which the Cap’n doesn’t eat; and scaring up the equipment to make a dairy cake.  (I only make parve desserts these days.)

The result was mind-blowing.  The butter in the cake alone was worth it, and this is a cake that tastes magnificent parve.  I lost the first batch of meringues (they came out flat and wizened) but was bailed out by consulting my trusty Joy of Cooking and ended up with meringues that were both crumbly and slightly chewy, just right for the cake.  In place of dried fruit I broke up bars of good-quality chocolate, though one could also use pie filling or fresh fruit, according to taste.  The cream filling turned out a runny version of Boston cream—delicious, but I may trouble-shoot that next time.  And the brandy in the chocolate glaze provided tasty confirmation of the booze theme in the cake.  In all, I consider it a success.

It’s a potchkee, but worth it (every 17 years).  (At this rate, the Cap’n informs me, I can probably make it again for Banana’s 21^st birthday.)  Strategizing the prep can make it a manageable project.  For example, make the meringues a week in advance, the cakes a day or two ahead, and even the sauce and filling the day before.  I had the chocolate chunks pounded and the walnuts toasted before Shabbat, too, so all I had to do that morning was take the cakes out of the refrigerator and let them stand until they were room temperature, then assemble it before lunch.  It’s a wreck to look at (and alas, I couldn’t take a picture of it before it was served) but an obviously delicious one.

So without further ado, here is the recipe for the new RUINS CAKE.

Components

1 recipe dairy Mocha Rum cake or other cake of choice, baked in two 10” rounds (recipe at the end of this post)

Meringues

Cream filling

Chocolate glaze

Toasted walnuts, pecans, or hazelnuts

Combination broken chunks of white, milk, dark, and 60% (or higher) chocolate (can also use fresh berries)

Instructions

Can make cakes in advance and freeze or refrigerate.

I also recommend making the meringues in advance to get them right.  To make meringues, beat 2 egg whites and a little less than 1 cup of sugar in mixer until firm and frothy.  Drop onto greased baking sheet by mounds.  Bake about 20 minutes at 250°.  (Meringues should be thin, flat dome, and taste slightly chewy.)

Make cream filling by cooking 3 egg yolks, 1 whole egg, 1 cup milk, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 cup sugar, and a dash of vanilla in a saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly.  When it starts to simmer and thicken, remove.  Add 1 stick butter and stir well; cool.  It’s pretty runny, but if thickened with corn starch, might reach the thickness of Boston Cream.  Your call.

Make chocolate glaze by mixing 3 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar, 3 tablespoons sour cream, 1 tablespoon cocoa, and 1 – 2 tablespoons brandy or whisky over low heat until it begins to simmer.  Add 1 stick butter; cool.

Assemble shortly before serving.   To assemble, spread bottom layer of cake with cream filling, then add top layer.  (Cream filling should be a thinnish layer to prevent the top cake layer from sliding off.)  Arrange broken meringues on top cake layer.  Drizzle cream filling between meringues.  Scatter toasted nuts and broken chocolate over the top.  Drizzle glaze over all, making sure to have it dribble down the sides of the cake.

Now serve and let it dribble down your chin.

MOCHA RUM CAKE  (Recipe from Whole Foods Market)

Cocoa powder for dusting

3 cups flour

1½ teaspoons baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

¾ lb bittersweet chocolate, chopped

3 sticks butter, cut into pieces

⅓ cup dark rum (that’s one-third cup; Bacardi works fine if dark rum not available)

2 cups strong brewed coffee

2¼ cups sugar

3 lg eggs, beaten lightly

1½ teaspoons vanilla

Preheat oven to 300°F.  Grease two springform (9” or 10”) or one bundt pan and dust with cocoa powder.  In bowl, whisk together flour, soda, and salt.  Melt chocolate and butter in a glass bowl in the microwave on high, stopping every 30 seconds to stir until smooth.  Transfer to a large mixing bowl and stir in rum, coffee, and sugar.  With electric mixer beat in flour, half a cup at a time, scraping down the sides, and beat in eggs and vanilla until batter is well combined.  Pour into prepared pan.

Bake cake in middle of oven until tester comes out clean, about 1 hour and 50 minutes for bundt cake, or 50 minutes or so in springform pans.  Let cake cool in the pan on a rack, then turn out onto rack.  Cake may be made 3 days ahead and kept well wrapped and chilled.  If serving cake alone (not as part of the Ruins cake) can simply dust with confectioner’s sugar or cover with chocolate ganache (to gild the lily).

Advertisement