Ring Ding-a-Lings

By susanwadle

from Susan Wadle and Scratch Baking Company

Ingredients

• Bowl Chocolate Cake:
• 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups Dutch Process cocoa powder
• 2 t baking soda
• 1 t sea salt
• 3/4 cup oil
• 2 T cider vinegar
• 2 cups water
• 2 t vanilla
• Ring-Ding-a Lings:
• 1 recipe of One Bowl Chocolate Cake
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, soft
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3/4 t salt
• 1 (7 1/2) ounce jar Marshmallow Fluff
• 1 pound bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• Sprinkles or Sparkling Sugar (optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Cake:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift dry ingredients together in a large bowl and then add the wet ingredients. Mix with a whisk until the batter is smooth and no lumps remain. Pour into a greased half sheet pan and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, rotating halfway through to ensure even cooking. When done, the cake should spring back when touched and have a few crumbs on it when you test with a toothpick.

This amount of batter is for a half sheet of cake for the Ring Ding-a-Ling recipe; it can also be baked in two 9-inch round layers. The baking time will be a bit longer, so test the cake for doneness every few minutes after you pass the 20 minute mark.

Ring Ding-a-Lings:

After the cake is baked and cooled, cut out 24 rounds with a 3" round cookie cutter (the original recipe called for a 2 1/2" cutter but I had problems with tipping over and the larger round is more stable - I also did some using a heart-shape cutter). You will need 2 rounds for every ring ding.

To make the filling: In a bowl of mixer with paddle attachment beat butter, powdered sugar and salt until homogenized and smooth (or as we say at the bakery "beat the yellow out of the butter"). Add the container of fluff and beat until mix comes together scraping the sides of the bowl several times to make sure all butter and fluff are mixed.

To assemble the ring dings: Place a small scoop (approx. 3 -4 T) of the filling on each "bottom: then lightly press each "top" onto filling so that it fills out to the sides. You can then uses a small icing spatula or knife to smooth filling around edges. There will most likely be crumbs, but don't worry as the ganache will cover those. Repeat until they are all filled. At this point you an tightly wrap the filled ring dings and freeze them. Thaw and cover with ganache as needed.

For the ganache: Heat cream until small bubbles appear around the edges and steam is rising from the middle. When the cream is hot, pour it over the chocolate, and let sit for a few minutes to melt chocolate. Stir slowly, scraping the outsides, until the chocolate is melted and the ganache is shiny and smooth. Use immediately to cover the ring dings. If the ganache does have to sit and firms up, set over a saucepan of boiling water and stir to make a liquid again so that it is easily pourable.

To cover the ring dings: To cover with ganache, place ring dings on grate over a half sheet or a cookie tray with sides. Leave space around each ring ding. Scoop warm ganache over to cover them evenly. You will have to use several scoops to get them covered, but the extra ganache that falls on the sheet can be reused. Repeat until your ring dings are covered.

And now the best part! Remove from the grate with a spatula and add your sprinkles or sparkling sugar (or perhaps even some Fleur de Sel) while the ganache is still a bit tacky so they stick. Transfer grate to clean cookie sheet and chill until ganache is hardened.

Note: You'll probably have a bit of filling left over as well as extra cake. I recommend running the cake through a food processor then mixing it with any remaining filling. Roll the mixture into small balls, chill, and then dip them in ganache for extra special Ring Ding-A-Ling truffles - an added bonus.