Ghirardelli Announces America’s Most Intense Chocolate Recipe Decadent Triple Chocolate Truffle Cake Takes Top Contest Prize

(SAN FRANCISCO) March 17, 2006—A Triple Chocolate Truffle Cake with milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate and white chocolate won the grand prize today in Ghirardelli Chocolate Company’s “Is Your Dessert Intense Enough?” recipe contest. The winning recipe, submitted by Gigi Burton of Plainsboro, New Jersey, beat out hundreds of entries to win Burton a deluxe Hawaiian family cruise.
Burton’s simple, rich Triple Chocolate Truffle Cake features a semi-sweet chocolate cake glazed with a milk chocolate ganache and topped with white chocolate shavings, served chilled.
Burton, 35, a married, former financial services marketing executive, loves baking as a creative outlet and enjoys experimenting with ingredients to create delicious recipes. A “sucker” for truffles, Burton wanted to create a cake that had the similar texture and softness of a truffle, but with more structure. The Ghirardelli contest was the first recipe contest Burton entered and she is now thinking she may be able to turn her baking passion into a career.
Hundreds of recipe entries were reviewed by Ghirardelli and tested by Ladies Home Journal magazine test kitchen baking experts. Burton’s winning recipe will appear in a Ghirardelli ad in the April issue of Ladies Home Journal, on newsstands in March.
For the contest, home bakers were invited to create their most intense chocolate recipe using at least one of any Ghirardelli premium baking products (chocolate chips, bars and/or cocoa) for a chance to one of six prizes.
“We were so impressed with how many contest entrants used three or four different types of Ghirardelli chocolate in their submissions, reflecting how bakers are following the national trend of experimenting with different chocolate intensities to create the perfect dessert for their individual taste,” said Tinka Gordon, Vice President of Marketing, Ghirardelli.
Ghirardelli is a leading manufacturer of premium chocolate products. Its extensive line includes its signature chocolate Ghirardelli Squares™, other chocolate confections, a full line of baking chocolate and chocolate beverages. As America’s longest continuously operating chocolate manufacturer, Ghirardelli has established its position as America’s Premium Chocolate Company for over 150 years.
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GRAND PRIZE: Gigi Burton, Plainsboro, NJ for “Triple Chocolate Truffle Cake,” a three-chocolate cake featuring a semi sweet cake, milk chocolate ganache and white chocolate garnish, served chilled. Burton wins a family cruise to Hawaii and Ghirardelli Baking Chocolate.
FIRST PLACE: Kimberly Bidwell, South Glens Falls, NY for “Chocolate Fix,” rich cupcakes with cream cheese, topped with sour cream melted milk chocolate and chocolate chips. Bidwell won a four-day trip to San Francisco, airfare provided by Orbitz and Ghirardelli Baking Chocolate.
SECOND PLACE: Roxanne Chan, Albany, CA for “Crazy for Chocolate Cream Puffs, ”a four- chocolate delight—cocoa pastry puffs filled with cream cheese, whipped cream, bittersweet chocolate and drizzled with white chocolate and topped with almonds. Chan won $500 of KitchenAid appliances and Ghirardelli Baking Chocolate.
THIRD PLACE: Shannon E. Kohn, Simpsonville, SC for “Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate Mocha-roons,” a triple chocolate cookie with dark and bittersweet chocolate, coconut and topped with melted white chocolate. Kohn won a Ghirardelli Ultimate Chocolate Gift Basket.
THIRD PLACE: Anna Ginsberg, Austin, TX for “Triple Layer Chocolate Triangles” a five chocolate brownie with unsweetened, dark, milk and bittersweet chocolate, cream cheese and drizzled with white chocolate. Ginsberg won a Ghirardelli Ultimate Chocolate Gift Basket.
THIRD PLACE: Deb Schnepp, Holland, MI for “Chocolate Raspberry Dessert Cups,” a triple chocolate delight with cocoa cups filled with raspberry jam, crushed bittersweet chips, topped with chocolate mousse and sprinkled white chocolate chips. Schnepp won a Ghirardelli Ultimate Chocolate Gift Basket.

All recipes available, upon request.
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PHOTO AVAILABLE
Ghirardelli “Is Your Dessert Intense Enough” Grand Prize Recipe

Triple Chocolate Truffle Cake
Gigi Burton


2 sticks unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for pan
3 cups Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
8 large eggs, cold
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Chips
2 ounces Ghirardelli White Chocolate Baking Bar, chilled


Note: this recipe requires that cake is refrigerated overnight before frosting.

Preheat oven to 325° degrees F.

Arrange rack in center of oven. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 by 2-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Melt butter and semi-sweet chocolate chips over double boiler until smooth; cool slightly. Meanwhile, with a hand mixer or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, whip eggs and salt on medium speed until doubled in volume, about 5 minutes.

Gently fold, in thirds, whipped eggs into melted chocolate.

Pour batter into prepared cake pan and place pan in water bath. Bake until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan and is set in the center, about 40 minutes. Remove pan from water bath to a cooling rack and cool cake completely in pan. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

To remove cake, dip the bottom and halfway up the sides of the pan in warm water and run a thin metal spatula around the inside of the pan. Invert onto a plate to unmold, remove parchment paper.

To prepare ganache, bring heavy cream to a simmer and pour over milk chocolate chips. Stir gently until smooth; cool slightly. Pour ganache over top of cake and spread with an offset spatula to evenly cover. (There will be some ganache leftover.)

Chill cake until ganache sets, about 30 minutes. To garnish, use vegetable peeler or grater to grate white chocolate bar into curls or shavings onto top of cake.

Serves 12.