Page 246 - Chocolate Cake Doctor

228 C H O C O L A T E C H E E S E C A K E S A N D S O M U C H M O R E

1. Place a rack in the center of the oven zest, and ginger in a large mixing bowl.
and preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly Blend with an electric mixer on low speed for
grease a 10-inch springform pan with 2 minutes. Stop the machine and scrape
softened butter. Set the pan aside. down the sides of the bowl with a rubber
spatula. The batter should come together
1
2. Measure out ⁄2 cup of the cake mix
into a ball. With your fingertips, pat the bat-
and set it aside for the filling.
ter evenly over the bottom and up the sides
3. Prepare the crust: Place the remaining of the prepared pan, spreading it out with
cake mix, the melted butter, 1 egg, orange your fingers until smooth. Set the pan aside.

How to Make Candied Orange Zest

1
ne of the prettiest ways to dress up Place 2 cups sugar and 1 ⁄4 cups water
O cake, whether it’s a chocolate layer in a medium-size saucepan over medium
cake, a cheesecake, or a chocolate heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and
roulade, is to surround it with candied the syrup comes to a simmer. Drop the
orange zest. Lucille Osborn, a Phila - orange zest into the pan, and stir so that
delphia food stylist, garnished my cakes all the strands are covered in syrup. Let
on a Discovery Channel show not too long this barely simmer for 1 to 1 ⁄2 hours, or
1
ago. The zest cascaded down the cake until the zest is translucent. Simmering
in magnificent sparkling spirals. And it the full amount of time will yield a
Lucille revealed her secrets for making crunchy zest; the shorter time, a softer
candied zest. zest. With metal tongs, transfer the zest to
First, scrub and dry the oranges. Then a wire rack, and leave to dry for several
cut the zest in long strands, using a zester. hours or overnight. While the zest is still
(This gadget cuts long, narrow strands. pliable, curl it or twist it to your liking. If
You can also run a sharp vegetable peeler desired, coat the zest in additional sugar.
around the orange, creating long 1-inch- When the candied zest has dried, store
wide strips, and then slice those into ⁄4- it in a tightly covered plastic container.
1
inch-wide strands.) Two medium oranges Use it as a garnish around or on top of
will yield about 1 cup of loosely packed cakes. Or dip it into melted semisweet
strands. chocolate for an extra-special treat!