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.
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