Sunday, December 02, 2007

Double Musky Cake

Double Musky CakeI've held this recipe back because it's so good, it may just be my very best and where do I go from here once I've posted my best? What do I have left I ask you?

This is based on the famous dessert served at the Double Musky Inn in Girdwood, Alaska which has a pecan crust and brownie layer then a layer of mousse (we Alaskans are all about mousse you know). This mousse comes from a separate recipe of mine which I think is better than the restaurant's original mousse (what am I? A mousse connoisseur?) and is just that much closer to heaven. You'll love this I promise.

It's the most requested dessert in the house, so rich and wonderful it will serve an army.

For crust:
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
3 egg whites
pinch of salt
1 cup sugar
30 crushed saltine crackers
1 cup chopped pecans

Beat whites, cream of tartar and salt to soft peaks, gradually add sugar and beat till stiff. Fold in cracker crumbs and pecans. Bake in a greased springform pan at 350 for 12 minutes till lightly brown. Immediately flatten, pressing the crust with the back of a spatula.

For filling:
½ cup butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
¼ cup flour
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter and chocolate, stirring until smooth. Cool. Beat eggs and sugar till dripping ribbons (which means that when you allow some of the mixture to drip off of your beaters it drips in wide ribbon-like streams). Add flour, beat till smooth. Add chocolate and vanilla, beat one minute. Pour over the flattened crust and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. Allow to cool completely before adding the next layer.

For mousse:
1 ½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese
1 1/3 cup powdered sugar
2 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoon vanilla

Melt chips, cool, add cream cheese, sugar and vanilla. Whip cream till stiff and combine with the chocolate-cream cheese mixture. Serve spread over filling and topped with extra whipped cream. Chocolate leaves make a beautiful garnish too, if you're up for some extra work.

***

As a bonus today, here are a few things to be aware of:

* Thank you to Summer's Nook for awarding me the Yummy Blog Award:
Yummy Blog AwardI'm going to pass this along to Ames at Ya Pie! And Hooray for Bananas! for her toffee pudding recipe that you must see. Make that taste.

* Susan at Food Blogga is having a Food Blogga Event called Eat Christmas Cookies that you would definitely like to see.

* Dodging Raindrops posted a Gingerbread Shake recipe that I'm determined to try--I'm on a quest to find gingerbread syrup now.

* Keeping the Castle posted 50 Awesome Crockpot Recipes--with fifty of them odds are at least a few of them are winners.

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28 comments:

deedee said...

My oldest daughter would love this cake!

Melissa Markham said...

I think I just gained 5 pounds from looking at this! It looks delicious!

Unknown said...

sounds good...I'm gonna have to copy the recipe and give it to my husband..'cause he's the one that does the cooking. :)

Anonymous said...

Oh my gosh....!! Heaven on a plate!

Thank You!

Mindy Richmond said...

This sounds amazing! I'm going to try this one and bring it to Christmas dinner at my sister's. I love to bake and I haven't tried anything new in awhile. Maybe it will become a new favorite in our family: Paula Deen's pumpkin bars at Thanksgiving, and Scribbit's Double Musky Cake at Christmas!

Rebecca Mecomber said...

"Musky" sounds so, so, SOOOO Alaska.

Looks good.

Maddy said...

The first association for me was Muskrat! But that's what happens if you let children watch too many cartoons!

Cheers

Tammy said...

Oh Michelle, this looks so good! I showed it to my husband, and he wants me to make it! =) I may just make this for the Christmas banquet we're going to this weekend!

What did you use for the white icing?

jubilee said...

You had me at "brownie."

Anonymous said...

Davinci Syrups makes a Gingerbread syrup and even a SF one and it's good! I love it in my chai tea. That Gingerbread shake sounds soooo good right now!

Cecily R said...

My husband so wishes he was married to you right now. Maybe I better make that cake so I can get back on his good side...

jean said...

Can I call it something else? It looks too good to be called Musky. Maybe Double Mousse or Double Chocolate instead? I just have flash backs to Musk perfume and it doesn't seem to match up with that gorgeous looking cake.
jean

Amy said...

That looks incredible...I think I might try to make that for Christmas...try being the operative word because I'm not all that great at baking

MamaGeek @ Works For Us said...

Oh my stomach is growling again. That does look divine Scribbit. And I can also attest to Ames' recipe - excellent choice.

Maria said...

I just printed this recipe out. Yum! I love chocolate cake, and this looks SO good. Thanks!

Sheila said...

Thanks so much for the link to my blog! I had another one of those shakes tonight at Red Robin. (blush)

Beth Cotell said...

Yum! I would like a giant slice of this for breakfast. I'm sure it would go with my coffee. Right?

Kerith Collins said...

MMMMMMMMM....I will have to make that...i can't wait!

Ice Cream said...

I almost passed up this thinking, "I don't like chocolate cake." Luckily I took enough time to read the description. This is anything BUT cake. I am excited to try this out on my hubby as he is a chocolate fiend.

Mamikaze said...

that looks delicious! I can't wait to make it

ames said...

wow, that cake looks incredible! you had me at pecan crust :)

Thank you so very much for the award, I squealed with delight when I received it. Wicked awesome! I hope you get a chance to try the pudding too, I just stocked up on dates to make another pan...mmmmm!

Megan@SortaCrunchy said...

OH for heaven's sake! That looks outrageously amazing!!

Inkling said...

This sounds like an amazing recipe. I've got ground moose in my deep freeze, and now I'll have chocolate mousse in my frig, proving it is possible to have it all even if I don't live in Alaska. =) Seriously, thank you for sharing such a yummy sounding and special recipe. I am looking forward to trying it!

Mary@notbefore7 said...

WOW! I so need an event so I can share this :)

Tammy said...

A few more questions...
I really want to make this for the Christmas party I'm going to!
What size is your springform? I borrowed one from a friend, and I hope it will work!

Do you put the mousse in the pan and chill? And then remove the springform?

And the whipped cream, how did you put it on the cake?

Oh, and how do you transfer this from a springform to a cake stand?

I really want to make this. :) TIA for the answers.

Susan from Food Blogga said...

Thanks for mentioning my event, Michelle! That was sweet of you. And that gingerbread shake sounds delicious!

Anonymous said...

this is one good cake.
in fact cake seems way too weak a word for it.
it delicious!
I made it for my sister's birthday party.
such a hit!
Linda

Anonymous said...

Oh my word, this sounds just heavenly! I've never tried a crust like that before. I have got to find an excuse to make this!