POINSETTIA CAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• Prepare the Cake Layers: Place white chocolate in a bowl. Pour boiling water over chocolate, and let stand 1 minute; stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Cool completely.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat granulated sugar and butter with a heavy-duty stand mixer on medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Gradually add egg whites, a third at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; add to butter mixture alternately with white chocolate mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat on low speed until blended after each addition. Add vanilla bean paste. Pour into 3 greased (with shortening) and floured 9-inch round cake pans.
• Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely.
• Prepare the Mousse Filling: Microwave white chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of the cream in a microwave-safe glass bowl on MEDIUM (50% power) until melted and smooth, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. Stir in crème de cacao. Cool 5 minutes.
• Beat remaining 1 cup cream with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form; fold into white chocolate mixture. Chill in refrigerator.
• Prepare the Frosting: Microwave chopped chocolate and 1/3 cup heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl on MEDIUM (50% power) until melted and smooth, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds. (Do not overheat.) Cool completely.
• Beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy; gradually add powdered sugar, beating on low speed until blended after each addition. Add 1/4 cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on low until blended after each addition. Add salt and white chocolate mixture, and beat on low until combined; increase speed to high, and beat until light and fluffy. Stir in vanilla.
• Assemble the Cake: Place 1 Cake Layer on a serving plate. Pipe a 1/2-inch-thick ring of Frosting around edge of Cake Layer. Spread half of Mousse Filling inside Frosting border; top with 1 Cake Layer. Pipe a 1/2-inch ring of Frosting around edge of Cake Layer. Spread remaining Filling inside border. Place remaining Cake Layer on top; spread top and sides of cake with remaining Frosting.

Steps:

• For poinsettia dough, divide corn syrup between two bowls. Stir red candy coating into one bowl and green into the other just until blended. Spread each mixture onto a sheet of waxed paper to 1/2-in. thickness (about 4-in. square). Let stand, uncovered, at room temperature for 2-3 hours or until dry to the touch. Remove each mixture from waxed paper and gather into a ball. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap; let stand overnight., Make leaf and petal patterns and trace onto waxed paper and cut out, or use leaf-shaped cookie cutters. Knead a portion of green dough until pliable but not soft. Roll between waxed paper to 1/8-in. thickness. Cut out four large and four small leaves; with a toothpick, score veins. Arrange in two circles on waxed paper with center points touching. , Knead and roll out a portion of red dough as above. For each poinsettia, cut out five to seven large flower petals. Shape petals as shown in photo; place in between green leaves, matching centers. Cut out 10 to 14 smaller flower petals from red dough (use additional dough if needed). Shape as shown; arrange between large red petals., For flower stamens, form tiny balls of green dough. Place several in center of each flower, covering all petal centers. Melt white chips; stir in yellow food coloring. Transfer to a resealable heavy-duty plastic bag; cut a small hole in corner of bag. Pipe onto green centers. Store poinsettias in an airtight container at room temperature., For cake, let egg whites stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, sift flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, beat egg yolks until slightly thickened. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, beating until thick and lemon-colored. Beat in vanilla. Add sifted ingredients; mix well., In another bowl, beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Fold a fourth of egg whites into batter; fold in remaining whites., Line a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan with waxed paper and grease the paper. Spread batter evenly into pan. Bake at 375° for 12-15 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes. Turn cake onto a kitchen towel dusted with confectioners’ sugar. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack., For filling, in a large bowl, cream butter until fluffy. Beat in 2 cups confectioners' sugar, cocoa, 3 tablespoons milk and vanilla. Add remaining confectioners' sugar and enough milk to achieve desired consistency. Unroll cake; spread filling evenly to within 1/2 in. of edges. Roll up again. Place on a wire rack over a baking sheet; cover and set aside., Place chocolate chips in a small bowl. In a heavy saucepan, bring cream to a boil over low heat. Pour over chips; whisk gently until smooth. Chill for 35-45 minutes or until ganache begins to thicken, stirring occasionally. , Pour half of the ganache over cake, allowing excess to drip off. Chill cake and remaining ganache, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until remaining ganache has cooled and a thermometer reads about 62°. Pour ganache slowly in a thin stream over cake; chill until set. , If piping is desired, transfer ganache that dripped from cake into a bowl; chill for 45 minutes. Whisk until thickened, about 1 minute. Place cake on a serving platter. Place thickened ganache in a pastry bag with a #21 star tip; pipe around bottom of cake. Position poinsettias on top of cake; gently press into ganache. Store in the refrigerator.