Cream Puff Cake

Christmas is nearing! And that means I'm spending a good amount of time in my kitchen, with my best friend The Oven. As spectacular as this cake looks, its relatively easy to make. It's just a matter of baking a cake, glazing it and arranging cream puffs on top. I loved the crown of glazed cream puffs, but the cake is also pretty great without them. Oh, and it's jam-filled! Yes, there's no end to the decadence this time of year :) Rating: 4.5 out of 5.




Cream Puff Cake: Martha Stewart's Jam-Filled Cake with Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients:
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- ½ cup whole milk
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups thick fruit jam

Chocolate Glaze:
- 6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 20 to 30 Chocolate-Glazed Cream Puffs (optional)

Instructions:
- Make cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan (2 inches deep). In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar on high until pale and fluffy, 5 minutes. In a small saucepan, bring milk and butter to a simmer over medium. With mixer on medium, gradually add flour mixture to egg mixture and beat just until combined. With mixer on low, add milk mixture in a steady stream and beat until combined. Fold in vanilla.
- Pour batter into pan. Bake until top is light golden and a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in pan on a wire rack, 10 minutes. Run a knife around edge of pan; turn cake out onto rack to cool completely (top side up), 30 minutes.
- With a serrated knife, trim top of cake to make it level, then split cake in half horizontally. Place bottom layer on a cake plate or serving platter and spread jam evenly on top with an offset spatula. Top with second layer.
- Make glaze: Place chocolate and corn syrup in a heatproof medium bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil. Immediately pour over chocolate and let sit 2 minutes. Stir until mixture is smooth. Pour glaze on cake and spread with offset spatula so it drips down sides. Refrigerate until glaze is set, 45 minutes (or up to 2 hours). To serve, arrange cream puffs (if using) on top of cake.


Happy Holidays everyone!