My 5 year old has off from school this week, and it is pouring-down rain outside. As I am typing this sentence it is 2 pm, and we are all still in our pjs. I wanted to make a caramel cake today, while the boys played in the backyard, but those plans had to be squashed. I decided to make homemade Ring Dings instead. I have all of the ingredients, and plus, it would give me and Cam something to do while Wesley was napping. Huzzah! It was easy to make, Cameron helped out (and we didn’t even fight!), and now the two of us are eating a Ring Ding each while watching Garfield. I’m still in my pjs, I don’t plan on changing, and I’ll probably have another Ring Ding. Blame it on the rain.
These homemade Ring Dings are so good. The cake is moist, the ganache is chocolatey, and the whipped cream is creamy and lightly sweet. I added three tablespoons of Creme Fraiche to the whipped cream to make it more stable. I used Nancy Silverton’s recipe, and you can find it here. I also topped each Ring Ding with a sprinkle of sea salt. Next to making a third cup of coffee, that was my best idea of the day.
The components of the cake are as followed, make a chocolate devils food cake in a 12×7 inch baking pan; make whipped cream; make chocolate ganache. That’s it. You could go the easy route and use a chocolate cake mix, Reddi Whip, and store-bought hot fudge sauce. You could even just buy a package of Ring Dings if you want. I won’t judge. My pjs have chocolate cake crumbs on them and my kids have been watching TV all day. So…
Here’s how it’s put together… first, using a 3-inch round cookie cutter, cut out six pucks.
Insert a pairing knife horizontally into the little chocolate cake, 1/4-inch from the bottom. With a 2-inch round cookie cutter, press into the top of the cake until you feel the knife’s blade.
Gently wiggle the cookie cutter and knife until a small piece of the cake comes out.
Fill each cake with whipped cream.
Top each cake with the cut-out piece to create a “cover”. You will have to cut each top horizontally so as to make it thinner.
Pour chocolate ganache over top, and using a pastry brush, paint the sides.
Sprinkle with sea salt and refrigerate until ready to eat!
Cameron’s learned the art of photo bombing.
- 1/2 cup (2 1/2 oz. or 71 g) unsifted, unsweetened Dutch-process Cocoa Powder
- 1 and 1/2 cups Water, divided
- 1 1/2 sticks (6 oz. or 168 g) Unsalted Butter, softened
- 1 cup (7 oz. or 199 g) Sugar
- 3/4 cup (6 oz. or 170 g) firmly packed Light Brown Sugar
- 3 Large Eggs, at room temperature
- 2 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
- 2 cups (8 oz. or 226 g) Cake Flour, sifted
- 1/4 cup (1.5 oz. or 31 g) All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tsp. Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1 cup Whipping Cream
- 3 tsp. Sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
- 3 TBS Creme Fraiche
- 8 oz. (226 g) Bittersweet Chcolate, finely chopped
- 1 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1 TBS Light Corn Syrup
- Sea Salt
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat a 9" x 13" baking pan with oil spray, and then line with parchment.
- Place the cocoa powder in a small bowl. Heat 1/2 cup of the water in the small saucepan just until it begins to simmer. Pour it over the cocoa and whisk or stir until blended. Add the remaining 1 cup of water and stir until the mixture is smooth. Set aside until the mixture is cool to room temperature. If it is warm, it will melt the butter and ruin the texture of your cake.
- In a bowl connected to a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy (about 7 minutes). Scrape down the bowl with the spatula.
- With the mixer on medium, add the eggs one at a time, and then the vanilla. Scrape down the bowl again.
- Sift the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt into the medium bowl and mix together. With the standing mixer on the lowest speed, add the flour mixture and the cocoa water alternately, beginning with one-third of the flour mixture and half the cocoa water. Repeat until both contents are in the bowl. Scrape down the bowl and finish blending the batter by hand, if necessary.
- Pour the batter in the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until the tops are firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
- Run a thin knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Place a large cutting board on top of the pan and flip it over. Remove the pan and parchment paper. Using another large flat surface, like a cutting board, flip the cake over once more, so it is right-side up.
- In the bowl of the stand mixer, whip the cream, sugar and vanilla on medium speed into firm peaks. You can also use a hand mixer and a medium mixing bowl. With a rubber spatula, fold in the creme fraiche. Transfer to a pastry bag, and refrigerate until ready to use.
- Place the chopped chocolate in the medium bowl. Warm the cream and light corn syrup in the small saucepan just until the cream mixture starts to boil. Immediately pour over the chocolate. Let the mixture sit for 1 minute, then stir slowly until completely blended and smooth (about 3 minutes). If the ganache appears lumpy place the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water and stir until the chocolate melts. Remove the glaze from the heat and let cool slightly for 5 to 10 minutes. It should be pourable but slightly thickened, about the consistency of heavy cream or honey.
- Use the 3-inch cutter to cut out six rounds from the cake. Save scraps for snacking. Insert a small knife into the side of a round, 1/4 inch from the bottom, and push the tip approximately two-thirds of the way through the cake. Push the 2-inch cutter down into the center of the cake until it hits the knife. Gently wiggle the knife and cutter until the cylinder of cake is cut free. Remove the knife and the cutter with the cake piece in it. Pop the cake out of the cutter and slice off a 1/4-inch thick round, which will become the "cover" for the opening, sealing in the cream. Set the cover aside and enjoy the remaining cake for yourself. Repeat with all the rounds.
- Pipe the whipped cream into each cake hole. Press the round slices of reserved cake on the tops.
- Pour the ganache over top each Ring Ding, and use a pastry brush, or off-set spatula to smooth out the ganache on top and around the sides. Sprinkle each with a pinch of salt, and then refrigerate until ready to eat. Enjoy!
- 9 x 13-inch baking pan
- Standing mixer with paddle and whisk attachment
- Parchment paper
- 3-inch round cookie cutter
- 2-inch round cookie cutter
- Wire cooling rack
- Pastry brush
- Off-set spatula
- Sifter
- Medium sauce pan
- 2 large cutting boards
- The cake can be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 1 day, or frozen for up to 4 weeks.
- The Ring Dings can be refrigerate for up to 1 day
