Devil's Food Bombe

I made this special layer cake for Christmas Eve.

It sounds intensive and the stacking the layers of cake was a little hard.

Here's the last layer before I put on the top or rather the bottom layer of the cake

You're supposed to frost it with the whipped cream, but I was so proud of the cake, since it didn't crumble or stick to the bowl that I didn't.

Frozen Outtake- "Life's Too Short"

I wish this one was in the film instead of "For the First Time in Forever (Reprise)" though I love that one.

From Bake! Essential Techniques for Perfect Baking by Nick Malgieri

Ingredients:

• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 cup boiling water (boil, then measure)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil, such as safflower
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Whipped Cream, made with 4 cups cream and 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup dark rum for sprinkling, optional
• 1/2 pint fresh raspberries, optional
• Chocolate shavings or fine devil's food cake crumbs for finishing
• One 1 1/2- to 2-quart round-bottomed bowl, buttered and lined with plastic wrap

Directions:

Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350˚F.

Place the chocolate in a large mixing bowl and pour the hot water over it. Shake the bowl to make sure all the chocolate is submerged, then let stand for a few minutes to melt the chocolate.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

Whisk the chocolate and water smooth, then whisk in the brown sugar, oil, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla one at a time, whisking smooth after each addition.
Whisk in the flour mixture about one third at a time. The batter will be very liquid.

Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake until risen and firm, 30 to 35 minutes.

Let the cakes stand in the pans for 5 minutes, then unmold to racks, turn right side up, and cool completely.

Cut the devil's food layers into 1/4-inch-thick vertical slices.

Line the 2 quart round-bottomed buttered bowl with a single layer of the slices, patching them together if necessary. Sprinkle the slices with rum.

Spread a large spoonful of whipped cream on top of the layer.

Trim 2 or 3 cake slices to the diameter of the bottom of the bowl and arrange them on the cream. Sprinkle with rum and spread with more cream. If you're using raspberries, sprinkle a few on each layer. 5 Repeat, cutting enough cake slices to fit the changing diameter of the bowl as you build up higher and so that they cover the previous layer of cream, until the bowl is full. Finish with a layer of cake.

Wrap and chill the bowl at least 4 hours or overnight. If chilling the cake overnight, only whip 3 cups of the cream as in the recipe on page 159 and whip the rest for covering the cake soon before you're going to serve it.

Place a cardboard or platter on the bowl and invert, then lift off the bowl. If the cake is stuck, wring out a clean kitchen towel in hot water and place on the bowl. This will melt the layer of butter between the bowl and the plastic wrap, then you can lift off the bowl and carefully peel off the plastic.
Spread the outside of the cake with the remaining whipped cream and sprinkle with chocolate shavings or fine devil's food cake crumbs.

Serving: Since the cake is tall, it's difficult to serve even wedges. Use a sharp thin knife to cut them and use a wide cake server or other spatula to transfer them to plates. Storage: Tightly wrap leftovers with plastic and refrigerate and plan on serving all of them within 24 hours for best flavor.