Almond Praline Cake With Mascarpone Frosting And Chocolate Bark

Total Time: 49 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 48 hrs

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
• 10 ounces chopped semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups cake flour
• 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 (7 ounce) packages almond paste
• 7 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 teaspoons almond extract
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 cups whole almonds, toasted
• 1.5 (8 ounce) containers mascarpone, cheese**
• 1 1/2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

Recipe

• 1 for ganache filling:.
• 2 simmer cream and sugar in medium saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. add chocolate; whisk until smooth. chill until just spreadable, about 6 hours.
• 3 for almond cake:.
• 4 preheat oven to 350°f butter three 9-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. line bottoms with parchment paper; dust pans with flour. whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in bowl. using heavy-duty mixer, blend brown sugar and butter in large bowl. beat in almond paste 1 piece at a time, then beat until smooth. add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. beat in extracts. fold in dry ingredients. divide batter among pans; smooth tops. bake cakes until tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 25 minutes. cool cakes in pans on rack.
• 5 for almond praline:.
• 6 line baking sheet with foil. stir sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. increase heat; boil without stirring until deep amber, swirling pan and brushing down sides with wet pastry brush occasionally. mix in nuts. pour onto foil; cool. peel foil off praline. chop praline coarsely. do ahead praline can be made 1 day ahead; store airtight at room temperature.
• 7 for mascarpone frosting:.
• 8 beat all ingredients in large bowl just to soft peaks (do not overbeat or mixture will curdle).
• 9 run knife around pan sides to loosen cakes. turn cakes out; peel off paper. place 1 cake layer on platter. spread half of ganache over; sprinkle with 1/4 cup praline. top with second cake layer. spread remaining ganache over; sprinkle with 1/4 cup praline. top with third cake layer. spread frosting over top and sides of cake. do ahead cake can be made 1 day ahead; cover with cake dome and chill. store remaining praline airtight at room temperature.
• 10 for chocolate bark:.
• 11 line baking sheet with foil. melt chocolate in small bowl set over saucepan of simmering water. stir until smooth. remove from over water. drizzle all but 1 tablespoon chocolate over foil in thick (about 1-inch-wide) zigzag lines (chocolate will pool in spots). sprinkle 3 tablespoons praline over chocolate; chill bark until firm, about 1 hour.
• 12 press praline around bottom 2 inches of cake; sprinkle more atop. peel foil off bark; break into pieces. press edges into frosting atop cake. remelt 1 tablespoon chocolate over simmering water, stirring often. using spoon, drizzle chocolate over cake. do ahead chill up to 4 hours. serve cold or at room temperature.