Carpathian 17 - Dark Celebration

great-grandmother Magdalana Von Krusemark. Due to DARK chocolate and little sugar, this dessert has a BITE!

    1 1/2 cups flour
    1 cup sugar
    1 cup cacao powder
    1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
    1/4 teaspoon baking powder
    2 eggs
    1 teaspoon vanilla
    3/4 cup butter (or shortening)
    1 (20-oz) can cherry pie filling
    1 tablespoon red food coloring

    Mix all ingredients well and pour into greased baking pan(s). May use rectangle 8 x 12-inch, or two round 9-inch pans. Bake 40 minutes at 350°.

    FROSTING
    Frosting is made from melting 16 ounces of DARK or bitter chocolate and then gently pouring over the cake, allowing liquid to freely flow. May garnish with maraschino cherries. The red tones from pie filling and food coloring add rich tones to the dark brown chocolate cake. Very appealing in layered effect, using cherry pie filling between layers.

    Blackberry Wine Cake
    Submitted by: Cathy Smith
    Lynnwood, WA

    1 package white cake mix (has to be white)
    2 small packages Raspberry Jell-O
    1 cup oil
    1 cup blackberry wine
    4 eggs

    Preheat oven to 350°. Generously grease a Bundt pan. Pour mixture in and bake for 50-55 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to partially cool before removing from pan.

    FROSTING INGREDIENTS
    1 cup powdered sugar
    1/4 cup blackberry wine

    Mix together and drizzle over cooled cake. Allow cake to stand and cool all the way before covering (this will give the outside a crust).

    Heaven and Hell on Earth Torte
    Submitted by: Cindy LaFrance
    Phoenix, AZ

    1 1/2 cups well-chopped cashews
    1 1/2 cups crushed vanilla wafer cookies (38 cookies)
    1 cup packed brown sugar
    1 cup butter or margarine, melted
    Dark Cocoa Cake (see below)
    Heaven and Hell Mousse (see below)
    Natural or Chocolate Glazed Leaves (optional)

    1. Heat oven to 350°. Place cooking parchment paper or waxed paper in bottoms of 2
    round pans, 9 x 1 1/2 inches. Stir together cashews, crushed cookies, brown sugar and butter. Spread about 3/4 cup mixture in each pan; reserve remaining mixture. Make Dark Cocoa Cake (below). Pour about 1 1/4 cups batter in each pan; refrigerate remaining batter.
    2. Bake about 20 minutes or until tops spring back when touched lightly. Immediately remove from pans to wire rack and peel off paper. Repeat with remaining cashew mixture and batter. Cool completely.
    3. Make Heaven and Hell Mousse (below). Place 1 layer, cashew side up, on serving plate; spread with about 3/4 cup of the mousse. Repeat with remaining layers and mousse.
    Or place mousse for top layer in decorating bag; choose a design you like for fancier decorating; garnish with natural or Chocolate Leaves (below). Cover and refrigerate about 4
    hours or until chilled. Cover and refrigerate any remaining torte.

    DARK COCOA CAKE INGREDIENTS
    2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
    1 2/3 cups sugar
    2/3 cup baking cocoa
    3/4 cup shortening
    1 1/4cups water

    1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
    1 teaspoon salt
    1 teaspoon vanilla
    1/4 teaspoon baking powder
    2 eggs

    Heat oven to 350°. Beat all ingredients in large bowl with electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.

    HEAVEN AND HELL MOUSSE INGREDIENTS
    12 ounces cream cheese
    l 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
    2 cups peanut butter
    3/4 cup heavy cream, at room temperature, divided use

    In a bowl, with an electric mixer, whip the cream cheese until light and creamy.
    Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar, then the peanut butter. Continue beating until thoroughly incorporated and fluffy. If mixture looks lumpy, add 2 tablespoons of the heavy cream. It may not smooth out, but it will be easier to blend. Set aside. Place the remaining heavy cream in another bowl, and using an electric mixer, whip until stiff. Being careful, combine both mixtures thoroughly. Set aside.

    CHOCOLATE LEAVES INGREDIENTS
    5 to 6 nonpoisonous (unsprayed) leaves (lemon, grape or rose leaves work well) or pliable plastic leaves
    1/4 cup dark chocolate chips or 1 ounce semi-sweet baking chocolate 1/2 teaspoon shortening

    Wash and dry leaves. Melt chocolate chips and shortening. Brush chocolate about 1/8-inch thick over backs of leaves using small brush. Refrigerate at least 1 hour until firm. Peel off leaves, handling as little as possible. Refrigerate chocolate leaves until ready to use.
    My thoughts on the top design are finishing off with a layer of mouse, then covering it with dark cocoa cake crumbles (to represent