Creamy Chocolate Gateau

This is a Bailey's flavored chocolate cake filled with chocolate pastry cream and frosted with an interesting evaporated milk based frosting that is rich, sweet and creamy.  The cake is a variation on Texas Chocolate Cake that I've been making forever.  The pastry cream and satin frosting came from the Joy of Cooking.  Make the cake and the pastry cream one day and then assemble the cake, make the satin frosting and frost the cake the next. It's so much easier to deal with cold cake and pastry cream.

Chocolate cake

Whisk together in a bowl:

2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda

Combine in a saucepan and heat until simmering:

1 cup butter
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup cream
3/4 cup Bailey's

Let cool.  Combine in a mixing bowl:

2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs

Slowly add the chocolate mixture and then the dry mixture.  Pour into a 10X15 pan.  Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.  Let cool.

Chocolate Pastry Cream

Combine in a pan:

2 1/2 cups cream
4 oz unsweetened choc

Melt the chocolate and stir until combined.  Combine in a mixer:

2/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp flour
4 egg yolks
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla

Beat until light and smooth.  Slowly add the chocolate cream mixture into the eggs mixture and then put back on the heat.  Stir constantly until it begins to thicken.  Then pour it in a bowl. cover the surface with plastic wrap to keep a skin from forming and cool.  Refrigerate when cooled.

Chocolate Satin Frosting

Melt in a small pot:

6 oz unsweeted chocolate
1 cup evaporated milk

Once the chocolate is melted, put a lid on the pot and let sit for 10 minutes.  Add to the mixing bowl of a food processor:

1 1/2 cup sugar
6 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla

Add the cooled chocolate mixture and blitz to incorporate.  This needs to sit for 30-60 minutes before it's thick enough to spread.

Assembly:

Cut the cake in half and then split each of the resulting layers to get four thin, long layers.  Put one of the bottom layers down and then add a layer of pastry cream.  Repeat for the second and third layers. Make the last layer one of two bottom layers and put it down upside down to get a smooth top.  Put it in the refrigerator to firm up for an hour.  Trim the edges and frost liberally with Chocolate Satin frosting.  Clean up the plate and serve.  Bon appetit!