Centerpiece Flower Cake

This cake is an absolute show-stopper. It looks really complicated but isn’t. I cut down the rising time, and used a store-bought filling to make the job easier. Just follow the instructions and yours will come out exactly the same — stunning, and melt-in-your mouth delicious. Freezes well.

PAREVE
SERVES 16–18

• 4¹⁄₂ tsp (2 pkgs) dry yeast
• ³⁄₄ cup warm water
• ¹⁄₃ cup sugar
• ³⁄₄ cup warm soy milk
• 5–5¹⁄₄ cups flour (whole wheat pastry is fine), divided
• ¹⁄₄ cup (¹⁄₂ stick/50 g) trans-fat free margarine, softened
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 eggs

FILLING

• 1 cup or more chocolate-hazelnut spread
• sugar and cinnamon

GLAZE

• ³⁄₄ cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 3 Tbsp soy milk
• 3 Tbsp chocolate-hazelnut spread

1. Place yeast, water, and sugar in the bowl of your mixer. Let proof for 5 minutes.
2. Add soy milk, 2 cups of flour, margarine, salt, and eggs. Knead until smooth. Add remaining flour and knead for 5–6 minutes until dough is smooth and elastic. Cover the mixing bowl with the mixer cover and a towel and let the dough sit for 20 minutes.
3. Punch down the dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and divide into thirds. Place one piece of dough on a piece of parchment paper and roll out into a 12-inch (30-cm) circle.
4. Heat the filling for 30 seconds in the microwave so it spreads easily. Spread a generous amount of filling on the rolled-out dough, going almost to the edge.
5. Repeat with a second piece of dough, placing it on top of the first and cover it with filling. Roll out the third piece of dough and place it on top of the second layer. (Note: It’s easier to transfer the circles if they’re rolled on parchment paper.) Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
6. Pinch the dough around the outer edge to seal. Place a small glass in the center of the dough. Using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter, cut the dough from the outside edge just to the glass to divide it onto 4 even sections. Then cut each section into 4 parts again to yield 16 wedges.
7. Remove the glass. Twist each wedge 3–4 times and tuck the edges under. Carefully transfer the flower cake to a baking sheet. (This can be done before you start, but I prefer to do it now.) Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 40 minutes.
8. Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Before sliding the cake into the oven, pinch the tips of the wedges to resemble flower petals. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.
9. Combine glaze ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle generously all over cooled cake.

(Originally featured in Family Table, Issue 692)