If you’ve been following this blog for a longer period of time, you should know that I like flavor combinations that step out of the ordinary and it’s not the first time I’m using bacon in desserts – these cookies were delicious too! But there’s something about the idea of a chocolate bacon cake that made my taste buds tingle. The sweetness and chocolatiness of the cake and the salty, smoky aroma of the bacon are a match made in heaven in my opinion. I was a bit skeptical at first, but couldn’t stop eating the cake once it was assembled. What a great flavor and such a beautiful cake! A showstopper indeed!

The layers of the cake are quite simple: black stout chocolate sponge cake (the same I made for my red wine cake, but with stout replacing the red wine), Swiss meringue chocolate buttercream, crispy bacon and a touch of walnuts for taste and flavor. So simple and yet so good! This chocolate bacon cake is my idea of perfection – simple ingredients, well mixed together, well balanced, intense, yet not overpowering. The wholesome, hearty stout chocolate cake is moist and incredibly tasty with its chocolate taste and stout bitterness and aroma. When I first opened the black stout bottle, the first thing I thought about was chocolate.. somehow, the flavor made me think of chocolate, caramel and overall thick, rich flavors.

I’m not normally a huge fan of buttercream, but there’s just one that I honestly don’t mind making and eating – Swiss meringue buttercream. It’s so much lighter and creamier, it has a better taste and an amazing texture, it holds its shape well and it’s perfect for cakes, cupcakes, brownies or just anything you might consider needing a dollop of rich, delicious cream on top. The great thing about this meringue though is that it can easily be combined with chocolate or even cream cheese and turned into amazing fillings for your cakes.



{Chocolate Bacon Cake} Print Author: Olguta - Pastry Workshop Serves:: 6-8 servings Ingredients: Black stout cake: 250g all-purpose flour

300g white sugar

75g cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

250ml buttermilk

125ml vegetable oil

250ml dark stout

100g dark chocolate, chopped Chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream: 4 egg whites

200g white sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon salt

250g butter, softened

250g dark chocolate, melted and chilled You will also need: 10 bacon slices, cooked until crisp and golden brown

A handful of walnuts, chopped Directions: Black stout cake: Preheat your oven to 350F and line 2 round cake pans (18cm diameter) with baking paper. Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Bring the sout to the boiling point in a saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate. Mix until melted and smooth and allow to cool down. Combine the eggs, vanilla, buttermilk and oil in a bowl. Stir in the stout mixture. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ones and mix quickly just until combined. Don't over mix the batter! Pour the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pan then level them up and cut them in half lengthwise, thus obtaining 4 discs of sponge cake. Place aside. Chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream: Combine the egg whites, vanilla, salt and sugar in a heatproof bowl and place over a hot water bath. Keep over steams, whisking all the time, until the mixture is hot and the sugar is melted. Remove from heat and begin whipping with an electric mixer until glossy and stiff and completely cooled down. it may take up to 7-8 minutes. When the meringue is stiff, add the softened butter, all at once and continue mixing on low speed. At first it will curdle up, then it will look like a soup and after 2-3 minutes, it will come back together, turning into a silky, smooth, fluffy buttercream. Add the chocolate, all at once and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Split the buttercream in 4 equal portions then assemble the cake: one layer of stout sponge, one layer of buttercream, a few bits of crushed bacon, another layer of sponge cake and so on. Finish the cake with a layer of buttercream, chopped walnuts and crispy bacon. Serve the cake right away or refrigerate until needed. Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe 3.5.3208

Daca ma urmariti de mai mult timp, stiti bine ca nu ma dau inlaturi de la combinatii iesite din comun si nu e prima data cand folosesc bacon in deserturi – aceste fursecuri sunt inca vii in memoria papilelor mele gustative. E ceva in gustul baconului combinat cu ceva dulce care imi face papilele sa tresalte de bucurie.

Baconul usor sarat si afumat si ciocolata dulce amaruie fac din acest tort o delicatesa. E si foarte usor de facut pe deasupra! Straturile tortului sunt: blat cu ciocolata si bere neagra, crema de unt cu ciocolata (Chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream), bacon crocant si un strat de miez de nuca pentru textura si gust. Sunt putine elemente, dar toate au o aroma intensa, reusind cumva sa se echilibreze una pe cealalta intr-un tort care impresioneaza nu doar prin combinatia de gusturi, ci si prin aspect.

Ingrediente:

Blat cu ciocolata si bere neagra:

250g faina alba

300g zahar alb

75g cacao

1 lingurita praf de copt

1 lingurita bicarbonat de sodiu

1/2 lingurita sare

2 oua

1 lingurita extract de vanilie

250ml lapte batut

125ml ulei vegetal

250ml bere neagra

100g ciocolata neagra, tocata

Crema de unt cu ciocolata:

4 albusuri

200g zahar alb

1/4 lingurita sare

250g unt la temperatura camerei

250g ciocolata neagra, topita si racita

In plus, veti mai avea nevoie de 10 felii bacon, prajite pana devin crocante si o mana de miez de nuca, tocat.

Mod de preparare:

Blat cu ciocolata si bere neagra:

Preincalziti cuptorul la 180C si tapetati 2 tavi de 18cm diametru cu hartie de copt. Amestecati ingredientele uscate intr-un bol. Incalziti berea neagra intr-un vas apoi luati de pe foc si adaugati ciocolata. Amestecati pana ciocolata se topeste. Amestecati ouale, vanilia, uleiul si laptele batut intr-un bol. Adaugati amestecul de bere si ciocolata apoi turnati lichidul peste ingredientele uscate. Amestecati rapid doar pana la incorporare. E crucial sa nu amestecati prea mult in aluat altfel veti obtine un blat cu gauri, cleios si nu unul pufos, umed cum e acest blat de fapt. Turnati aluatul in mod egal in cele doua tavi pregatite si coaceti pentru 30-35 minute sau pana blaturile trec testul scobitorii. Lasati blaturile sa se raceasca in tavi apoi nivelati-le si taiati-le in jumatate, astfel incat sa obtineti 4 discuri de blat in total.

Crema de unt cu ciocolata: