Cakes

CHOCOLATE CARAMEL DIAMONDS

For cake

• 4 ounces fine-quality bittersweet
  chocolate (not unsweetened)
  
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

For ganache

• 5 ounces fine-quality bittersweet
  chocolate (not unsweetened)
  
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

For caramel topping

1/4 cup sugar

Make cake:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter a 9-inch square
baking pan and line bottom with wax paper.
Chop chocolate into small pieces. In a double
boiler or a metal bowl set over a saucepan of
barely simmering water melt chocolate and butter,
stirring until smooth. Remove top of double
boiler or bowl from heat and whisk sugar into
chocolate mixture. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time
until combined well. Sift flour and cocoa powder
over chocolate mixture and whisk until just
combined. Pour batter into baking pan and bake
in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean,
about 20 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan on
a rack and invert onto a baking sheet lined with
wax paper.

Make ganache:
Chop chocolate. In a dry heavy saucepan cook
sugar over moderate heat, without stirring,
until it begins to melt. Continue to cook sugar,
stirring with a fork, until a deep-golden
caramel. Remove pan from heat and add cream
(mixture will bubble up and steam). Simmer
mixture, stirring, until caramel is dissolved.
Remove pan from heat and add chocolate, stirring
until mixture is smooth. Pour ganache over top
of cake and smooth with a spatula. Chill cake,
uncovered, at least 30 minutes and, covered, up
to 3 days.

Make topping:

Lightly grease a baking sheet.
In a dry small heavy saucepan cook sugar
over moderately low heat, stirring slowly
with a fork (to help sugar melt evenly),
until a pale-golden caramel. Continue to
cook caramel, without stirring, gently
swirling pan, until golden. Remove pan
from heat and pour caramel onto baking
sheet. Cool caramel completely.
Pry caramel from baking sheet with your fingers
and in a food processor pulse caramel until
coarsely ground. Sprinkle the ground caramel
evenly over top of cake and with a sharp knife
cut cake into 1 1/4-inch diamonds.

Makes about 42 chocolate caramel diamonds.

CARROT CAKE WITH MAPLE-CREAM CHEESE ICING

A standard at health food restaurants across
the country, carrot cake was ubiquitous in the
seventies. Grated carrots made it a nutritious
choice, or so the thinking went. This ultra-
moist version is updated with a maple icing.

Cake

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 cups canola oil
• 4 large eggs
• 3 cups grated peeled carrots
• 1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
• 2 tablespoons minced peeled ginger

Icing

• 10 ounces cream cheese (such as
  Philadelphia), room temperature
  
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter,
  room temperature
  
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup

12 walnut halves (for garnish)
For cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-
inch-diameter cake pans. Line bottom of pans
with waxed paper. Butter and flour paper; tap
out excess flour. Whisk flour, baking soda,
salt and cinnamon in medium bowl to blend.
Whisk sugar and oil in large bowl until well
blended. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time. Add flour
mixture and stir until blended. Stir in carrots,
walnuts and ginger. Divide batter between
prepared pans.
Bake cakes until tester inserted into center
comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes
in pans 15 minutes. Turn out onto racks. Peel
off waxed paper; cool cakes completely.
For icing: Using electric mixer, beat cream
cheese and butter in large bowl until light
and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat at
low speed until well blended. Beat in maple
syrup. Chill until just firm enough to spread,
30 minutes.
Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread with 3/4
cup icing. Top with second layer. Spread
remaining icing over entire cake. Arrange
walnut halves around top edge. (Can be made
1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill. Let
stand at room temperature 30 minutes before
serving.)

Makes 12 servings.