Aztec Layer Cake

Aztec Layer Cake

Yield: 1 8” cake

Serves: 10

Difficulty:  Advanced

⅓ cup (1.33 oz / 38 g) pecan flour
1 tsp instant coffee powder, or espresso powder
1 tsp all-purpose flour
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
3 ea (3.25 fl oz) egg whites, room temperature
¼ tsp salt
⅛ tsp cream of tartar
¾ cup (5.25 oz / 149 g) granulated sugar

Finishing:

1 recipe Chocolate Chiffon

1 recipe French Buttercream

1 oz (28 g) 100 % chocolate, broken up

3 oz (85 g) 61% to 64% chocolate, wafers or broken up

2 tsp powdered coffee

Hot water as needed

Simple Syrup flavored with Kahlua or vanilla extract

1 8” diameter stencil, optional

Cake comb, optional

Cocoa powder, as needed

Special tools and equipment needed:

• Half sheet pan or large cookie sheet
• Parchment sheet
• 1 8” by 2” cake pan
• Large plastic pastry bag with medium plain tip (Ateco #805), optional
• Small offset spatula
• Countertop mixer with whip attachment or handheld mixer

Pre-recipe preparations:

1. Bring egg whites to room temperature
   
2. Use the cake pan to trace 8’circles on the parchment paper. Turn upside down.
   
3. Bake an 8” chocolate chiffon cake.

Directions: Baking the meringue:
Preheat the oven to 250°F

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the pecan flour, powdered coffee, flour, and cinnamon. Set aside.
2. In clean machine bowl and whip attachment, or mixing bowl with hand held beater, whip the egg whites, with the salt and cream of tartar until soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar and beat until a very firm meringue.
3. Gently fold in the dry ingredients, just until fully blended.
4. Fill the pastry bag and pipe out two circles of meringue. Alternatively, use the offset spatula to spread the meringue over the two circles.
5. Bake for one hour.  Reduce the heat to 200°F and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Turn off the oven and let meringues cool in the oven.
6. If meringues don’t feel completely dry, turn oven back to 200°F and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Let completely cool.

Assembling the cake:

1. Make the French buttercream. Set aside.
2. Place the two chocolates in a bowl and melt together. Let cool slightly.
3. Flavor 1 ½ cup (11 oz) of the buttercream with the chocolate.
4. The cake is constructed of two cake layers, two meringue layers, flavored syrup, chocolate buttercream, and mocha buttercream.
5. Carefully trim off the top of the chocolate chiffon cake. Slice the cake into two layers.
6. Place the bottom cake layer on a cardboard circle or cake plate. Brush lightly with the syrup.
7. Spread ½ cup of the chocolate buttercream over the cake. Press one meringue circle, top side down, on top of the buttercream. Spread another ½ cup of the chocolate buttercream over the meringue circle.
8. Place the second cake layer on top of the buttercream. Brush with syrup, then spread with chocolate buttercream. Press the final meringue layer on top of the buttercream. Refrigerate.
9. Place the powdered coffee in a small mixing bowl or coffee cup. Drizzle just enough hot water to dissolve the coffee, and make a coffee syrup. Make a mocha buttercream by adding the syrup to 1 ½ cups of buttercream. Mix well.
10. Remove cake from the refrigerator and crumb coat the cake by spreading a very thin layer of the mocha buttercream on the sides and top of the cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
11. Remove cake from the refrigerator and ice the sides and top of the cake. Use the cake comb, if available, on the sides of the cake for texture. Refrigerate until firm.
12. If using stencil, dust cocoa over the stencil.
13. Slice Aztec Layer Cake when cold, the let slices soften and come to room temperature.
14. The cake may be kept in the refrigerator for 3 days, or frozen for 1 month.