La Porcelaine

By norsegal8

Red "porcelainized" roses against a dark chocolate fondant-covered cake provide stunning visual appeal. This cake is at once elegant and richly, warmly inviting. The theme of long-stemmed chocolate roses was inspired by a cake I designed for Good Housekeeping magazine's one hundredth anniversary. The roses smell chocolaty and can even be eaten but are best saved as momentos.
This cake is a soft, chocolate sensation; it is filled with my favorite ganache tinged with a scarlet edge of raspberry, and encased in fudgy, chocolate fondant.

NOTE: If making fondant stems for the roses, allow at least 30 minutes for them to dry before placing them on the cake.

Ingredients

• CAKE COMPONENTS
• 1 recipe Perfect All-American Chocolate Butter Cake
• 1 recipe Raspberry Ganache
• 1 recipe Chocolate Rolled Fondant
• 8 red Porcelain Roses and chocolate fondant stems, or fresh roses
• 20 Chocolate Rose Leaves, using about 3 ounces of chocolate and reserving leftover chocolate to attach the roses and leaves

Details

Servings 10

Preparation

Step 1

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT NEEDED
1 sheet of heavy-duty plastic, 31 inches by 6 inches (can be purchased in hardware or dime stores)

METHOD FOR ASSEMBLING THE CAKE
1. Spread a little ganache on a 9-inch cardboard round and center 1 cake layer on it.

2. Fill and lightly frost the cake layers with the remaining ganache. Chill until firm. Use a heavy-duty pancake turner to transfer the cake to a serving plate.

3. Make the fondant disc and band: On a piece of plastic wrap, roll a piece of the chocolate fondant (about 3/4 cup) into a 1/8-inch thick disc. Transfer the plastic wrap and disc to a baking sheet and cut the disc into a circle slightly larger than the diameter of the cake, using an inverted cake pan or lid as a guide and cutting with a pizza wheel or the tip of a sharp knife. Freeze for about 10 minutes or until very firm. Invert onto another piece of plastic wrap, peel off the plastic from the bottom, and reinvert onto the cake while still firm enough to handle easily. Smooth the edges to follow the contour of the cake. Allow the fondant to sit for 10 to 20 minutes or until no longer sticky. Use the palm of your hand to smooth it to a soft shine.
For the long band, you will need a piece of fondant 28 1/4 inches long and 4 inches high. Place the sheet of heavy-duty plastic on a flat surface. Roll the fondant onto a long rope and lay it in the middle of the plastic. Roll the fondant into a thin band 1/8-inch thick. Using a long plastic ruler and a pizza wheel or sharp knife, even the edges, cutting the bottom edge flush with the bottom of the plastic. Use your fingers to smooth the upper edge so that it thins slightly. Use the plastic to lift the fondant and curve it around the sides of the cake. Peel away the plastic and curve the upper edge gently toward the top of the cake to create a graceful, free-form design.

4. Make the fondant rose stems: Roll a few small pieces of fondant into thin 4-inch ropes. Gently curve a few to use around the base. Place on plastic wrap and allow to dry for at least 30 minutes or until stiff enough to transfer to the cake.

5. Sepals: Cut from little scraps of rolled fondant and press gently onto the roses.

6. Place the roses on top of the cake, securing them in place with dabs of melted chocolate.

7. Place the stems at the base of the roses. Place the leaves on top, also securing with dabs of melted chocolate.

8. Store the cake UNCOVERED or fondant will absorb moisture from the cake and become sticky.