One of the many things I love about traveling in Mexico are the pastelerias or pastry shops that seem to be on every corner where subtle aromas of vanilla & sugar waft out from doorways. Last year my friend Terry and I found a wonderful chocolate “cakelet” that was baked in a pie crust. Encantado con esta postre.. Que magnifico!
Here is my iphone image from my trip…
It was my first time to see a cake baked in a pie crust…easy eaten out-of-hand..not a pie, not a cake exactly…a wee “cakelet”.
I had to give this idea a try upon returning home. I made a dark chocolate batter and an almond pie crust, drizzled with chocolate sauce and dusted with sugar for my version.
Rings of almond dough await the batter.
Filled & ready for the oven.
Freshly baked and cooled.
A simple chocolate drizzle…..a sprinkling of icing/sanding sugar…
Served with Mexican Vanilla flavored ice cream! Perhaps for your special Valentiine?
Deep, Dark Chocolate Cakelets in an Almond Pie Crust
Ingredients for Almond Pie Crust strips:
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 egg beaten
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup almond flour
Directions for Pie Crust strips:
- Using an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter & sugar together until creamy. Add egg and mix, scraping down sides of bowl as needed.
- Mix together in a small bowl the all-purpose & almond flours using a whisk.
- Add flour mixture to butter-sugar mixture and mix until well blended. Scrape dough from mixer bowl out onto a work surface lightly coated with additional flour.
- Form dough into two disks, wrap each with plastic wrap & chill for 1 hour before using.
- When ready to bake cakelets remove 1 dough ball from the refrigerator. Roll out on floured surface creating an oblong circle about 10-12 inches long. Cut dough with a knife (on one side of each strip) and a fluted pastry cutter (on the other side of each strip) into 10-12 inch long strips. Make 8 strips total.
- Stand each strip of dough on its flat edge and wrap to make a circle overlapping where dough meets. Dab one end of dough strip with water and seal together. Repeat with all dough to make 8 standing-up on edge dough strip circles. Place these on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover lightly with plastic and put back in the refrigerator until ready to fill with cake batter.
Ingredients for Dark Chocolate Cakelet Batter:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup dark cocoa
- 8 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate cut into chunks
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) + 2 Tbsps unsalted butter room temp
- 4 large eggs
- 3/4 cups dark brown sugar
- 2 tsps Mexican pure vanilla extract (or any other you like or happen to have)
Directions for Cakelet Batter:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and cocoa into a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Melt 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate with the 1/2 cup butter in the top of a double boiler or in the microwave until smooth and blended. Set aside.
- Beat together the eggs & brown sugar in a large mixing bowl until thickened. Reduce mixer to low and add the chocolate/butter mixture and vanilla extract and beat until well blended.
- Add flour mixture in batches and beat on low until all of it is incorporated into the batter.
- Remove the chilled pie crust rings from the refrigerator & fill each 3/4 full with the batter.
- Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until batter is set in the center(s) and pie crust rings are lightly browned. Remove pan from oven and cool on a rack.
Ingredients for Chocolate Drizzle:
- 8 ounces of semi-sweet chocolate melted
- 1/3 cup sanding sugar
Directions:
- Drizzle all the cakelets randomly with melted chocolate & sprinkle with bakers/sanding sugar.
teresablackburnfoodstying.com foodonfifth.com
What a clever idea Teresa! I would never have thought that putting cake batter inside a pastry ring would work – I would have imagined that it would all seep out from underneath – this is really brilliant! it also looks quite delicious too! And only you could take an iPhone snap that looks a million dollars!! Happy Weekend to you!
muy delicioso…some on sunday? por favor.
This is so pretty, and it looks delicious! Gotta try this soon.
Almond crust sounds delicious. These look great.
Greetings Teresa, I feel a huge sweet tooth attack coming forth! Yum! Drooling…Your Florida bud. Cheryl
This looks so good! I love anything involving dark chocolate, and this looks decadent.
You took a good concept and make it sublime!
How brilliant! I can only imagine what it must taste like 🙂
This is a beautiful and creative dessert. Who would have ever thought to put cake in pie crust…thank goodness for travel!
such a cool idea! can’t wait to try it!
This looks totally good
Que magnifico, indeed!
Wonderful…I’m with Selma as I would have thought the batter would have seeped out. Can’t wait to try this.
oh my goodness, that is right up my alley and I am wondering why the dessert fairy didn’t bring me any. Gorgeous photos as usual!
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How incredibly interesting…love to witness something I had not seen before.
In some ways these tarts remind me of one of my Italian rooted pastries from the ‘Abruzzi’ region’ called ‘Bocconotti’. Hopefully I’ll blog about it one day.
Your recipe is getting printed and definitely charming its way towards my sweets repertoire.
Brava Teresa…thank you for your creativity ;o)
Ciao for now,
Claudia