Miniature Chocolate Truffle Tree Cakes
1 recipe Chocolate Cake*
1 recipe Chocolate-Praline Truffles**
1 recipe Praline Almonds***
1/2 cup chopped uncolored pistachios, divided
1/2 recipe White Chocolate**** Buttercream Frosting
2 ounces white chocolate, shaved
6 (2-ounce) vanilla candy coating squares
1 (3.3-ounce) jar white sparkling sugar
Chocolate Cake Recipe*
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup cocoa
1 (8-ounce) container sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Chocolate-Praline Truffles**
3 (4-ounce) semisweet chocolate bars, broken into pieces
1/4 cup whipping cream
3 tablespoons butter, cut up
2 tablespoons almond liqueur
1 recipe Praline Pecans
Microwave semisweet chocolate pieces and whipping cream in a 2-quart
microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 3 1/2 minutes. Whisk until
chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. (If chocolate doesn’t melt
completely, microwave and whisk at 15-second intervals until melted.) Whisk
in butter and liqueur; let stand 20 minutes. Beat at medium speed with an
electric mixer 4 minutes or until mixture forms soft peaks. (Do not overbeat
mixture.) Cover and chill at least 4 hours.
Shape mixture into 1-inch balls; roll in Praline Pecans. Cover and chill up
to 1 week, or freeze up to 1 month.
White Chocolate-Praline Truffles: Substitute 3 (4-ounce) white chocolate
bars for semisweet chocolate bars and Praline Almonds for Praline Pecans.
Praline Almonds*** 1 1/2 cups chopped, sliced, blanched almonds 1/4 cup
firmly packed light brown sugar 2 tablespoons whipping cream
Combine all ingredients; spread into a lightly buttered 9-inch
round cakepan. Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, stirring once, or until coating
is slightly crystallized. Remove from oven; stir and cool. Store in an
airtight container.
Yield about 1 1/2 cups
1/2 recipe White Chocolate
Buttercream Frosting
1 (4-ounce) white chocolate bar, broken into pieces
1/2 cup whipping cream, divided
1 cup butter, softened
6 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Microwave chocolate pieces and 1/4 cup whipping cream in a
1-quart microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 1 minute and 10 seconds.
Whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. (Do not overheat
mixture.) Beat butter and 1 cup powdered sugar at low speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add remaining 5 cups powdered sugar alternately with remaining 1/4 cup whipping cream, beating at low speed until blended after each addition. Add white chocolate mixture and vanilla; beat at medium speed until spreading consistency.
Yield about 4 1/2 cups
Chocolate Cake Batter* Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer
until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time,
beating until blended after each addition. Combine cake flour and next 3
ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning
and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until blended after each
addition. Stir in vanilla. Follow baking directions for Chocolate Truffle
Angel Cake or Miniature Chocolate Truffle Tree Cakes.
Yield enough batter for 3 (8-inch) layers or 1 (15- x 10-inch) layer
Prepare Chocolate Cake batter; pour into a greased and floured 15- x 10-inch
jellyroll pan. Bake at 350 for 22 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick
inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes.
Invert onto a parchment or wax paper-lined rack; cool.
Lift parchment paper and cake layer together, and place on a cutting board.
Cut 12 (3-inch) circles with a round biscuit cutter. (Reserve trimmings for
another use.)
Prepare mixture for Chocolate-Praline Truffles.
Spread truffle mixture in a 1/4-inch-thick layer over top of 6 cake circles,
reserving remaining truffle mixture; top each with another cake circle.
Cover and chill 1 hour.
Spread remaining truffle mixture over top and sides of cakes.
Combine Praline Almonds and 1/4 cup chopped pistachios; roll cake edges in
mixture.
Spoon White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting into a small heavy-duty zip-top
plastic bag; seal. Snip a 1/2-inch hole in 1 corner of bag. Pipe a frosting
mound evenly on top of each cake; sprinkle evenly with shaved white
chocolate.
Draw 6 (3-inch) circles on a sheet of parchment paper. Turn over, and line a
baking sheet with paper, making sure pattern shows through.
Microwave candy coating squares in a 2-quart microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 3 minutes or until melted, whisking every 30 seconds. Spoon into a small heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag; seal. Snip a tiny hole in 1 corner of bag.
Drizzle a triangle inside each circle, forming a tree shape; randomly
drizzle coating inside each triangle. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup
chopped pistachios and sparkling sugar. Freeze 30 minutes or until firm.
Peel from paper. Gently insert a tree into each frosting mound. Store in
refrigerator up to 2 days.
Yield 6 (3-inch) cakes