Bacon World Champion Ricardo Heredia’s

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake with peanut brittle and cocoa nibs

Dark Chocolate Cake
4 cups pastry flour
4 cups white sugar
1-1/2 cups unsweetened Valhrona cocoa
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 eggs
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon vinegar

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch pan. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the eggs, cream, milk, oil and vinegar. Mix until smooth, batter will be thin. Pour into prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Chocolate peanut butter ganache

4.5 C. heavy cream
1 C. br. Sugar
24 oz. dk. Chocolate
1 C. peanut butter

Method
Bring cream and sugar to simmer in sauce pan, whisking to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Let stand 1 min. and stir. Add P.B. and stir, chill uncovered.

Milk Chocolate Cayenne Sauce

2 cups ½ &1/2
1 pound milk chocolate, coarsely chopped
¼ cup unsalted butter, cut small pieces
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Method

In a medium-size saucepan, warm the ½ & ½ and chocolate over very low heat, stirring occasionally to smooth. When the chocolate is completely melted, 5 or 6 minutes, remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Mix in cayenne. Store the sauce in squeeze bottle.

Peanut Brittle

4 cup raw Spanish peanuts
4 cup white sugar
2 cup light corn syrup
2 cup water
4 teaspoon baking soda
Method
Lay out several sheets of foil to spoon the hot peanut brittle onto.
In a large skillet mix the sugar, syrup, and water together. Cook at a medium-high heat, stirring regularly. Heat until the mixture has a hard ball consistency. Heat to 250 to 265 degrees F (121 to 129 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a rigid ball. If you don’t own a candy thermometer, occasionally hold spoon above mixture, allowing it to drip off spoon. When mixture is at hard ball stage, it will ‘hair’ off the spoon when falling, looking like a clear spider web.
Once mixture is at hard ball consistency, add raw peanuts. (They will pop a little.) When mixture starts to turn a light clear-brown, as if it’s starting to burn, remove from stove. Add soda and stir. Mixture will foam up.
Pour mixture out on silpat lined sheet pan, cool and break into pieces.