Scarlet Cake from
The Sea by
Alexander’s
Steakhouse
Pastry Chef Dan Huynh
This dazzling dessert from
the Palo Alto purveyor of
high-end seafood takes classic
red velvet cake—which
has been making quite a
comeback—and turns it
into a smashing presentation
whose red color is right in
line with the seasonal color
scheme. Serves 10–12. Can
be made as individual desserts
if desired.
Red Velvet Namelaka
52 oz. milk chocolate
3 Tbsp glucose syrup*
3 cups milk
23 bloomed gelatin*
7 cups cold heavy cream
12 red fat-soluble pellets*
Melt the chocolate, add
glucose syrup and emulsify
with hand blender. Bring the
milk to a boil, add gelatin
68 South Bay Accent
(chopped chocolate bars can
also be used) in a microwavesafe
mixing bowl and melt in
30-second increments until
smooth, stirring after each
time. Various methods can be
used to coat the inside of the
spheres in chocolate. Some
molten chocolate can be
poured into a sphere, which
is then tilted to spread fully
across the inside. Another
method is to use a brush to
spread the chocolate fully
into the mold. It’s important
to have two layers of chocolate
in the spheres, so put the
spheres into a freezer for 15
minutes before applying a
second layer.
Shortly before serving,
soften the ice cream (other
flavors besides vanilla bean
can be used) a little so that
it’s more easily scooped and
carefully fill each sphere. Put
filled half-spheres into the
freezer to harden. Run a hot
butter knife or other dull
knife around the edges of the
spheres to soften the chocolate
so that two spheres can
be joined together to make
a whole sphere. Put into the
freezer as needed after assembling.
TO SERVE Put each whole
sphere in a shallow bowl
and surround with brownie
pieces, berries and nuts. Heat
the chocolate sauce in the
microwave or on the stovetop
until it’s quite warm and
drippy. After presenting each
guest with a bowl, pour a little
chocolate sauce over each
sphere until it penetrates and
melts the top of the chocolate
coating the sphere.
All Spice’s Chocolate
Terrarium
Sachin Chopra, chef-owner
This home run of a restaurant
in San Mateo features
the unique, fusion-ish creations
of the chef such as his
lovely take on a parfait that
includes various chocolate
textures and passion fruit
curd. The restaurant serves it
and combine. Add the hot
milk to the chocolate mixture
while blending. Add the
cream and color; pour into
desired molds and reserve.
* available online
Cream Cheese Sorbet
4 cups milk
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 pound cream cheese
1 tsp salt
Juice of one lemon
Blend all ingredients; transfer
to heat and boil; strain. Chill
and put in ice cream machine;
mold or reserve for service.
Red Velvet Cake
5 cups all-purpose flour
3 cups sugar
2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
5 tsp cocoa powder
3 cups neutral oil
1 cup buttermilk
4 eggs
4 Tbsp red food color
2 tsp white vinegar
3 tsp vanilla
Sift all dry ingredients.
Beat the eggs with the oil,
buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla
and food color. Add the dry
ingredients in thirds until
combined.
Bake at 325º for 15 minutes.
(The chef pipes the
batter into a spiral before
baking, but this step can be
eliminated. Put in individual
pans or in one large cake pan.)
Hult’s Chocolate
Spheres
Alex Hult, owner
The owner is a former
professional hockey player
turned restaurateur who has
created a spectacular signature
dessert for his namesake
restaurant in Los Gatos that
is actually quite easy to make
at home because it can be
assembled from purchased
ingredients. The wow factor
in this dessert—besides
all the chocolate—is how
the hot sauce is poured over
the sphere, melting it and
exposing the creamy interior,
although that step can be
eliminated if desired.
INGREDIENTS
1 or more packages high-quality
dark chocolate chips
1 pint or more of high-quality
vanilla-bean ice cream
Premade or purchased brownies,
cut into small pieces
Fresh berries (sliced strawberries,
raspberries, blueberries and/or
blackberries) tossed in a little
fresh lemon juice and sugar,
just to moisten
4 Tbsp toasted, roughly chopped
walnuts or pecans
Jar of high-quality bittersweet
chocolate sauce such as
Recchiuti
METHOD Use half-sphere-sized
silicone molds in individualportion
sizes. Lightly coat
the inside of each mold with
neutral-flavored nonstick
spray. There will be two
spheres used for each dessert,
with a total of eight to make
four servings.
Put the chocolate chips
Pastry Chef
Dan Huynh of
The Sea by
Alexander’s
Steakhouse