Individual Chocolate Toffee Trifle

I have to admit this dish was created by accident after a little mishap in my kitchen (which happens quite a bit :) ).  I had invited my girlfriend over for dinner and because her birthday was the previous week I wanted to make her a special dessert.  Since I was going through a cupcake phase I wanted to incorporate a chocolate cupcake with English toffee bits and homemade salted caramel.  I had tried Ina Garten’s recipe “Beatty’s Chocolate Cake” and loved it.  It was so moist and had just the right amount of Chocolate goodness.  So I decided to try her recipe in cupcake form.  As always I was rushing to make sure everything was ready when my girlfriend arrived.  Cupcakes are in the oven and when I checked on them… let’s just say they were not pretty (I’m thinking I should have adjusted the amount of baking powder).   I was frantic, time was running out and I had a pan of spread out cupcakes.  Thank goodness I had recently viewed pictures of individual trifles that I thought were so adorable.  I had already made my salted caramel that had been cooling, so I threw in some heavy cream and English toffee bits in the food processor and created creamy toffee bliss.   I layered all the ingredients in a nice glass and voila my accident just turned into something delectable.  Indulge!

Chocolate Cake

Adapted recipe from Ina Garten Beatty's ChocolateCake

Ingredients

• Butter, for greasing the pans
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cups good cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, shaken
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
• Toffee Whipped Cream, recipe follows
• Homemade salted caramel, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line cupcake pan with liners and set aside.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Fill cupcake liners with batter 2/3^rd full and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a cooling rack and cool completely.

Take your pretty glass and layer with cake, then whipped cream and drizzle with salted caramel.  Repeat.  Garnish with a drizzle of salted caramel and English toffee bits 

Toffee Whipped Cream

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream

 ½ cup of English toffee bits 
¼ cup confectioner sugar

Directions

Place all ingredients in a food processor (I use a food processor to make sure most of the bits are crushed into cream).  Process until whipped cream is fluffy and holds shape (don’t over process or it will become grainy).

Homemade Salted Caramel

Ingredients

4 tablespoons water
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt, kosher or sea

Directions 

Combine the water, sugar, and the corn syrup in a deep saucepan and cook over medium heat.  Stir together with a wooden spoon until the sugar is incorporated.
Cover the saucepan and let it cook over medium heat for 3 minutes.  After 3 minutes, remove the lid, increase the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil.

 Do not stir from this point on, but it is important to carefully shake the pan so that one area of the caramel doesn’t burn.   Continue to cook until the caramel turns an even amber color then remove from the heat and let stand for about 30 seconds.
Be very careful and pour the heavy cream into the mixture. Wear oven mitts, stand away from the pan. The mixture will bubble up significantly.  Stir the mixture, again being careful. Add the butter, lemon juice, and salt. Stir until combined.  Measure 1 cup into a Pyrex measuring cup. Stirring occasionally, allow to caramel to cool about 20 minutes.