Hagrid's Chocolate, Blackberry, and Basil Layer Cake
“He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as wide. He looked simply too big to be allowed, and so wild— long tangles of bushy black hair and beard hid most of his face, he had hands the size of trash can lids, and his feet in their leather boots were like baby dolphins.”
With this as our first look at Hagrid, I knew that the dessert that would best fit him would have to be just as intimidating. Which left me with two choices: a 12 x 18 inch pan, or a 16 x 16 inch pan that I could then stack a 12 x 12 inch cake on top. Of course I had to go with the latter. So then it was on to flavors.
Rowling describes him as having black hair and eyes that were like "black beetles, "so it had to be something dark (46). And the next time we see him, he's giving Harry a chocolate birthday cake. So... a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting?
Not only does chocolate fit his appearance, but I thought it fit his personality as well. Chocolate is known to make people feel better and to be comforting, something Hagrid does all throughout the first book (throughout all of them, really). Between bringing Harry to Diagon Alley for the first time, buying Harry his first pet (though companion may be a better word), to sending Harry an invitation during breakfast to join him for tea, and countless other instances, Hagrid is always there for Harry.
With the cake flavor down, I had to figure out what I thought the filling should be. Luckily, a few words from his descriptions stood out to me: "wild," "fierce," "shadowy," and "tangled." Anyone who has ever encountered a wild blackberry bush/ vine can tell you that these words can be used to describe the plant. Berries are almost completely hidden behind dense green leaves, and the vines interlock to create barricades. The vines are also covered in thorns, because of course they are.
As the Groundskeeper, Hagrid spends a lot of time surrounded by plants, so I wanted to incorporate something green into the cake, something that would pair well with the tart blackberry compote. Something creamy and smooth. Basil and mascarpone.
Hagrid is comfortable in nature, even the Forbidden Forest, which is filled with all forms of dangerous creatures. He knows magical creatures and knows how to handle them, which he shows on more than one occasion. The first two that come to mind though, are his dragon (which he got from a stranger in the pub) and his three-headed dog (which the stranger in the pub wanted to know very specific things about).
Which brings us to the next part...
He spends quite a bit of time at the pub making questionable choices. Knowing that I was going to make a simple syrup to brush the cake with to keep it moist, I decided to add a bit of Black Haus blackberry schnapps. But this is still technically a children's book, so I added the schnapps while the syrup was boiling to cook out the alcohol.
I decided to make a naked cake. I didn't want it to be super fancy with a lot of detailed frosting because Hagrid is anything but fancy. Some of the layers also stuck to the sides a bit as I was removing them, leaving small chunks missing from some of the edges, and I really wanted to show them off: a character that's rough around the edges should have a cake that's rough around the edges.
And now, on to the recipe!
(Heads up! This will take you all day to make, unless you make some things ahead of time.)
Cake (You’re going to have to mix this recipe 3 times, total)
-4 c all purpose flour
-4 c white sugar
-1 c cocoa powder
-2 tbsp baking soda
-2 tsp salt
-4 large eggs
-1 1/3 c vegetable oil
-2 c buttermilk
-1/2 c hot water
1. Combine vegetable oil, eggs, and white sugar in a large bowl, and mix until smooth.
2. Stir in salt and baking soda.
3. Slowly mix in cocoa powder.
4. Stir in buttermilk.
5. Add the flour in sections, mixing until smooth each time.
6. Stir in hot water to make your batter smooth and glossy.
7. Pour batter into your prepared baking pan (I prefer to spray it with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper).
The 16 x 16 pans get baked at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. You’ll need to make this batter once for each pan.
The 12 x 12 pans get baked at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. You’ll make this batter once, then split it in half to fill the two pans.
Simple Syrup
-3/4 c white sugar
-1/2 c water
-2 tsp Black Haus Blackberry Schnapps
1. Combine the sugar and water in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat.
2. Bring to a boil and continue stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved and the syrup is clear.
3. Add the schnapps and boil for two more minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Blackberry Compote
-3 ½ (12 oz) blackberry cartons
-1 1/3 c white sugar
-8 tbsp water
1. Combine ingredients in a medium saucepan.
2. Cook on medium-high heat until boiling and the berries start disappearing.
3. Reduce to med-low heat and cook until the berries are gone, stirring occasionally.
4. Remove from heat and cool.
5. Run the compote through a very fine mesh strainer to remove the seeds.
Basil Mascarpone Filling
-1 bunch fresh basil, about 40-50 leaves
-6 sticks of unsalted butter
-12 oz mascarpone cheese
-9 c confectioner’s sugar
1. Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan, and add basil.
2. Simmer the basil in the butter over medium heat for about 15 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and strain the basil leaves from the butter.
4. Let it cool.
5. Stick it in the freezer for around five minutes. You have to watch it! You don’t want it frozen, or you’ll have chunky filling, but you do want a bit of it to be hard.
6. Beat the butter and mascarpone together.
7. Beat the confectioner’s sugar in a little at a time to make sure the filling is smooth.
Chocolate Frosting
-8 sticks of unsalted butter
- 1 (11 oz) bag of milk chocolate chips
-1 (11 oz) bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
-1 tsp coffee extract (vanilla works too)
-12 c confectioner’s sugar
-1/2 c cold whole milk
1. Cream butter in a large bowl.
2. Stir in coffee extract
3. In a separate bowl, combine the two bags of chocolate chips, and microwave for 30 seconds.
4. Remove chocolate chips from the microwave and stir until smooth. You may have to stick them back in the microwave, but be careful— if you cook them for two long, they’ll burn and get gritty. You should be able to just keep stirring them and let the chips that have already melted melt the chips that haven’t.
5. Stir the melted chocolate into the butter.
6. Mix in the confectioner’s sugar in parts to ensure the frosting is smooth.
7. Add a bit of the cold milk— you may not have to add it all, so watch as you add! You want to add just enough to thicken the frosting.
To layer the cake, start with one of the 16 x 16 layers, and brush it with the simple syrup. Next, add a thick layer of the mascarpone filling, but don't bring it all the way to the sides or it will run all over when you put the next cake on. Top that with the blackberry compote.
Place the next 16 x 16 layer on and brush it with the simple syrup. Cover this layer with the chocolate frosting then place the first 12 x 12 layer in the center. Brush it with the simple syrup. Add a layer of the mascarpone filling and a layer of the blackberry compote.
Place the final cake layer on it, and brush it with the simple syrup. Add a final layer of frosting and step back to admire your giant cake.
