New Year's Cake
Description
This bright and festive cake will not only adorn your New Year’s table but also amaze your guests. The cake consists of several layers of airy sponge cakes and delicate cream. It has an incomparable aroma. Decorated as the head of the animal of the year, it will bring an atmosphere of joy and magic! Every piece of this dessert is made with love and attention to detail, so no one will remain indifferent. Treat yourself and your loved ones to a piece of New Year’s fairy tale! And may this cake become not only a treat but also a symbol of luck and prosperity in the New Year. The baking is ready. Serve at the table.
Instructions
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Step 1
First, prepare all the necessary ingredients for the layer cake batter to make the New Year’s cake Fiery Horse.
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Step 2
Take the eggs out of the refrigerator ahead of time so they reach room temperature. Beat the eggs into a tall bowl or a heavy-bottomed saucepan, as you will need to heat the mixture over the flame. Add sugar and a pinch of salt to the eggs.
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Step 3
Add the cocoa.
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Step 4
Add the liquid honey, soft butter, milk, vegetable oil, and mix. Place the saucepan over low heat and heat, stirring constantly, until the crystals and butter dissolve. The mixture should become smooth and hot, but do NOT bring it to a boil.
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Step 5
Remove the mixture from the heat, add the baking soda, and mix well. The mixture will start to foam; this is a normal neutralization reaction. Keep stirring until it settles down slightly.
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Step 6
Sift the flour and add it to the chocolate mixture in portions. At first, mix with a spatula, as the mixture will be hot for a while. Then transfer the dough to the counter and knead until you have a soft, slightly sticky dough. You may need a little more flour, since flour varies. Add flour gradually so you do not make the dough too stiff. Keep in mind that it will firm up as it cools. Place the finished dough in a bag and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.
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Step 7
After you transfer the dough to the refrigerator, start making the first part of the pastry cream. To do this, prepare all the ingredients needed to make the custard sour cream cream and chocolate ganache.
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Step 8
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, beat in the egg, add the sugar, and add the vanilla sugar.
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Step 9
Add a pinch of salt to the pot, pour in a little milk, and mix well well.
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Step 10
Bring the remaining milk to a boil and, stirring constantly, pour it into the saucepan in a thin stream. Mix everything well until smooth.
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Step 11
Put the sour cream in a saucepan and mix thoroughly until smooth. Return the saucepan to low heat and cook the mixture, stirring, until thickened. Once the cream begins to bubble, count 20 seconds and remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir the cream constantly while cooking, or it may scorch and cannot be salvaged. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the cream and refrigerate for 8 hours to stabilize it.
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Step 12
To shape the cake, you will need a stencil that you can find and print from your computer. The stencil must fit entirely within the rectangular pan whose dimensions we will use to bake the cake layers.
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Step 13
Divide the dough into 6 portions and roll each one on parchment into a rectangle 2 millimeters thick, slightly larger than the rectangular cutter. Cut out the rectangle with the cutter and remove the excess dough. Place the stencil on one of the layers and trace all the horse outlines with a skewer or the blunt side of a knife. Bake in a hot oven at 180°C for 6–7 minutes. Then remove the layer from the baking sheet and place it on a wooden board or tray. Separate each layer with parchment and cover with a towel. Let the layers cool completely. If you are not assembling the cake right away, wrap the layers in plastic wrap and refrigerate. Stored this way, they will keep in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
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Step 14
Before you begin assembling the cake, finish the cream. To do this, whip the cold heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
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Step 15
Gradually adding the pastry sour cream cream, beating well each time, until both mixtures are combined. The cream is ready.
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Step 16
Place a rectangular mold on the reinforced serving board you will use to present the cake, and lightly grease the inside with cream. Divide the remaining cream into five portions. Place the first cake layer and spread one portion of cream in an even layer. Repeat with another layer, then cream, and continue in this way. The top layer should be the stencil-patterned cake layer; do not spread cream on it. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8 hours to set.
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Step 17
Using a sharp knife, cut the cake along the traced outline. Trim down to half the height around the lower ear and under the slope where the mane will go. Also carve out a little in the nostril area.
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Step 18
Knead the cake trimmings into a uniform mass that closely resembles the chocolate mixture used for kartoshka (“potato”) cakes. Use this mass to shape the eye, cheek, and nostril area. On the neck, make two small indentations. Smooth the corners and slightly raise the intact areas. Use the mass to smooth the corners around the ears and mane.
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Step 19
For the ganache, melt the chocolate in the microwave in 10–20 second bursts until smooth. Cool the chocolate to 42°C and add soft butter; mix until smooth. The chocolate and butter should be roughly the same temperature; otherwise you won’t get a smooth, glossy mixture. Apply the first, rough coat of ganache. You can do this with a spatula, your hand, or—as I do—with a silicone brush. Work quickly: the ganache is still fluid and the cake is cold, so it sets fast.
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Step 20
Once the ganache has thickened slightly, which happens quite quickly, apply another layer. This time, level the entire surface with a spatula while preserving the texture created from the potatoes.
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Step 21
Knead the fondant with your hands until soft and pliable. Dust the work surface with starch and roll it out into a thin sheet large enough to cover the entire cake. Drape it over the cake and, working gently, smooth it with your fingers to shape the relief of the head and neck. From the remaining fondant, shape the second ear, the eye areas, and the nostrils. Attach them with a modelling tool, brushing the join points lightly with cold boiled water. Then make the forelock and the horse’s mane and attach them along the side as well.
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Step 22
Using a wide brush, brush the starch off the surface. With water-soluble food colors and alcohol, color the horse however you like. Decorate the base—I used blue chocolate and coconut flakes.
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Step 23
New Year's cake "Fiery Horse" is ready!
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Step 24
Done. Serve at the table.