White Chocolate Eyeball Cakes
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 6 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 758
- Total Fat
- 46
- Saturated Fat
- 26
- Carbohydrates
- 81
- Dietary Fiber
- 1
- Sugar
- 57
- Protein
- 7
- Cholesterol
- 108
- Sodium
- 281
- Total: 1 hr 50 min (includes freezing and chilling times)
- Active: 40 min
Ingredients
Cake:
Nonstick cooking spray, for the baking dish
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
White Chocolate Domes:
6 black candy melting wafers
2 ounces blue candy melting wafers
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon unrefined coconut oil
8 ounces white chocolate, chopped
Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Deep red gel food coloring, for the pudding
1/4 cup raspberry jam
Directions
Special equipment:
a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter; 1 small piping bag; a 6-cavity silicone half-sphere mold with 3-ounce cavities- For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Whisk in the milk, vegetable oil, vanilla and egg until smooth and combined.
- Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 7 to 10 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, then turn out onto a cutting board. Use a 2 1/2-inch round biscuit cutter to cut 6 rounds from the cake (save the scraps for another use); set aside.
- For the white chocolate domes: Meanwhile, add 1 black candy melting wafer to each of the bottom cavities of a silicone half-sphere mold with six 3-ounce cavities. Microwave until the wafers are melted, about 1 minute. Transfer the mold to a baking sheet to keep it stable and tap it on a hard surface to make sure there are no air pockets. Freeze until hardened, about 5 minutes. These will be the pupils of the eyeballs.
- Combine the blue candy melting wafers with 1 teaspoon of the coconut oil in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 15-second intervals, stirring in between each, until the wafers and coconut oil are melted and the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute. Transfer the mixture to a small piping bag. Pipe the blue mixture around each pupil to create an iris, then freeze until hardened, about 5 minutes.
- Combine 4 ounces of the white chocolate with 1 tablespoon of the coconut oil in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring in between each, until the chocolate and coconut oil are melted and the mixture is smooth, about 1 minute.
- Pour the white chocolate mixture over the pupils and irises and tilt the mold to swirl the chocolate around until each half-sphere is coated entirely (you can also use your finger to swirl the chocolate around). Tap out any excess chocolate and freeze until the chocolate is hardened, about 5 minutes. Repeat with the remaining 4 ounces white chocolate and 1 tablespoon coconut oil to create a second white chocolate layer. (Some chocolate may spill over on top of the mold, which is fine; it will break off when you unmold the domes.) Tap out any excess chocolate and freeze until the chocolate is hardened, about 5 minutes.
- For the filling: Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together the cream and milk in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until small bubbles begin to form around the edges, about 4 minutes. Add the dry mixture to the saucepan in 3 additions, whisking well after each addition. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture is thickened, about 4 minutes. (Do not allow the mixture to boil; adjust the heat if needed.) Remove from the heat and add the butter, vanilla and 5 drops of gel coloring. Whisk to combine. Transfer the pudding to a medium glass bowl, then cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Scoop 3 tablespoons of the pudding into each white chocolate cavity in the half-sphere mold. Using the back of a teaspoon, make a divot in the middle of each portion of pudding about halfway down. Dollop a heaping teaspoon of the raspberry jam into each divot. Top each half-sphere with a cake round, pressing down gently into the pudding just so the cake adheres to the pudding. Freeze until the pudding is set, about 30 minutes.
- Gently peel the mold away from each of the domes and trim the edges with a paring knife if needed. Place them cake-side down on a serving platter. Let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.