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Submitted by Ronen Abergel
Menorah cake pan. The pan I used is available from Amazon under “Menorah Cake Pan,” and measures 10.7 x 2.2 x 12.3 inches.
2 batches of cake batter (enough to fill pan slightly more than 3/4 full). You may have some left over. See below for recipe for one batch
buttercream frosting and gel food coloring (I use Americolor brand)
cake pan spray
Wilton piping tips. For this cake I used Tip #left-side18, but you can use round tips as well (or almost any tips you like).
imagination and creativity!
3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
3/4 cup black cocoa powder
3/4 cup regular cocoa powder (Hershey’s, Nestle, etc.)
1 cup hot water
3 cups granulated sugar
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 and 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 large eggs, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 and 1/2 cups mashed fresh raspberries (use a fork to mash raspberries)
3/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1 and 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
2 cups (434 grams; 1 pound box) room temperature, unsalted butter (or butter substitute, but avoid the ones that have a strong “plant” after taste as it will affect the taste of the final buttercream)
7 cups powdered sugar (907 grams; 2 pound bag)
3 tablespoons heavy cream (or whipping cream) (45 grams) – or non-dairy cream substitute, with fat if possible
1 tablespoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (12 grams)
1/2 teaspoon salt (3 grams)
Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray the menorah pan liberally with the pan spray.
In the bowl of a standard mixer, combine the flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix until well combined.
Add in eggs, vanilla, mashed raspberries, coconut oil and vinegar. Mix on low just until combined.
In a separate bowl, combine the cocoa powders and hot water and mix with a hand whisk until there are no clumps.
Add the cocoa mixture to the rest of the ingredients in the mixer bowl. Slowly mix by hand until combined, then turn on mixer and mix for 30 seconds – until fully combined, but do not overmix.
Pour the batter into the spray-covered menorah pan, making sure the batter reaches a little over 3/4 full, and bake until wooden toothpick dipped in the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30-35 minutes. I always start checking at minute 28 or so.
Remove the cake from oven when it’s done and let it sit in the pan for 10-15 minutes. Then take the cake out of the pan and let it cool completely.
In a bowl of a standard mixer, mix the butter for about three minutes on medium speed using a paddle attachment if you have, otherwise with a whisk attachment is fine.
With the mixer on low (or stir) mode, slowly add the powdered sugar to the bowl. About midway through adding the powdered sugar, add one tablespoon of heavy cream and keep mixing until it is combined. Continue to add the rest of the powdered sugar.
Scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure there is no unmixed butter and sugar.
Add in the vanilla and salt and mix to combine.
Add the remainder of the heavy cream if the buttercream is too thick, or leave it out if the consistency is just right. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar. You’ll need to make a judgement call here. You want the buttercream to be thick enough to hold its shape when you’re piping it on to the cake, but not so stiff so that it’s hard to work with.
The design of the cake is limited only by your imagination. I do recommend you have a basic color scheme in mind before you start. This will guide you when you’re coloring the frosting. Also – there is almost no such thing as a “mistake.” If you pipe the wrong color somewhere, simple use the tip of a knife to remove the wrong frosting and pipe the correct frosting over it. No stress. Have fun and get creative.
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