Martini Cake

This weekend was my dad's birthday and his favorite drink by far is a martini. We happened to have an over sized martini glass in our closet and I thought it would be fun to incorporate it into a birthday cake.

Since I wanted the base of the martini glass to be cake, I looked for a thinner cake that was still rich and flavorful. I decided on an Italian flourless chocolate cake. It basically tastes like a fudgy brownie. Sooo good!

Flourless chocolate cake with peanut butter cream and a martini glass filled with vodka jello.

Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe: (From Italian Country Cooking by Loukie Werle)

1 stick unsalted butter

6 oz dark chocolate

1 cup sugar

5 eggs, separated

1 1/4 cup finely ground hazelnuts

1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line 9-10 inch spring form cake pan with parchment paper. Butter the paper and sides of pan.

Combine butter, chocolate and sugar in a heat proof bowl set over simmering water. Heat until butter and chocolate are melted. Stir until mixture is smooth and cool to room temperature.

Beat egg yolks into chocolate mixture, one by one, with wooden spoon until completely mixed. Add ground nuts.

Beat egg whites wtih salt until stiff peaks form. Fold into the chocolate mixture, 1/3 at a time, until no white steaks can be seen. Bake for 40-60 minutes, or until cake starts to shrink away from sides and top is firm. Cool on rack.               

             Mixture going into pan.                       

Cake out of the oven

Peanut Buttercream Icing Recipe:

9 tbs butter, softened

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup milk

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

5 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Beat beat butter and peanut butter in bowl until mixed. Add milk and vanilla. After combined, add powder sugar and stir until spreadable.

Vodka Jello Recipe:

2 packages of melon jello

2 cups boiling water

1/2 cup cold water

1 1/2 cups vodka

Add boiling water to jello mix and stir until combined. Add cold water and vodka. Pour into martini glass and chill until firm in fridge (about 2-3 hours). Decoate with "olive" marshmallow. (Coat mashmallow in green food coloring. When dry, add one dot of red food coloring on each side.)