Chocolate

Chocolate Thai Green Curry Cake

February 16, 2012
4
3 Ratings
Photo by James Ransom
  • Makes one 9" two-layer cake
Author Notes

So many flavors in Thai cooking straddle the line between sweet and savory - coconut, ginger, kaffir lime, lemongrass, even chile - so I didn't think twice about translating one of my favorite Thai dishes, green curry, into something sweet. I came up with this recipe several years ago for a challenge to create a dessert with eggplant in it - the cake was really a sweet and chocolatey version of green curry with eggplant - and have since modified the recipe to omit the eggplant in the cake batter as well as the topping so as to simplify the recipe a bit.

The cake is a simple chocolate cake, although the texture of it is wonderfully light and fluffy, with a small crumb that is moist. For good measure, though, I soak the cake with a ginger simple syrup. The filling of the cake is a rich and deeply flavorful dark chocolate ganache infused with kaffir lime leaves and Thai bird chiles. The herbaceousness of the kaffir lime hits your tongue first, and as you swallow, the sweet heat of the chile creeps up. The heat is not overpowering, but it's definitely present. The cake is topped off with a classic Swiss meringue buttercream infused with a bit of green curry paste. What? Yes, green curry paste. You'd think that green curry paste in frosting would be really strange, but you'd be remiss to not try it. The kaffir lime and chile in the paste echo the flavors of the ganache filling, and the lemongrass, ginger, and galangal play off the flavors of the ginger soaking liquid. But there are two other ingredients in the paste - garlic and shallots - that lend a hit of earthiness and a savoriness that really rounds out the cake. And because cake is more fun with sprinkles, this one is topped off with peanuts that are dusted in coconut milk powder. The peanut sprinkles are totally optional, but because they're really easy to make (if you can find coconut milk powder), I always add them to lend a bit of crunch and contrast to the lush, silky cake.

This cake has earned a spot as one of my favorites - give it a try and it might be one of yours, too.
raspberryeggplant

Test Kitchen Notes

Don't be afraid of the long list of ingredients here. Raspberryeggplant has put together a very thoughtful recipe making use of bright and vibrant Thai flavors in every part of this delicious cake. The gingery cake is delicious alone, but the spicy ganache and curry buttercream take it to new heights. Not only are the flavors spot on, but the delicate texture of the cake and whipped buttercream are perfect together. —Stephanie Bourgeois

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Cake components - chocolate cake, ginger syrup, chocolate kaffir lime chile ganache, green curry buttercream, and coconut milk peanuts
  • For the chocolate cake
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
  • 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup good quality cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup coconut milk
  • 4 ounces (1 stick) butter
  • 1/2 cup turbinado sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon grated ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  • For the ginger simple syrup
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1" pieces ginger, peeled and cut into 1/8" thick slices
  • For the ganache filling
  • 2 small Thai bird chiles
  • 4 Kaffir lime leaves
  • 6 ounces heavy cream
  • 6 ounces 70% dark chocolate
  • For the green curry buttercream frosting
  • 5 large egg whites
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 10 ounces unsalted butter, slightly cooler than room temperature
  • 3/4 teaspoon green curry paste (I use Maesri brand, as it's really flavorful and doesn't contain shrimp paste. I don't recommend the Taste of Thai green curry paste - it's really bland)
  • For the coconut milk peanuts
  • 1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
  • 2 tablespoons coconut milk powder (available at Thai grocery stores and probably on Amazon - what don't they sell?)
  • Assemble the cake
Directions
  1. Cake components - chocolate cake, ginger syrup, chocolate kaffir lime chile ganache, green curry buttercream, and coconut milk peanuts
  2. Make the chocolate cake
  3. Set a rack in the middle of your oven and heat to 350 F. Use the 1 teaspoon of butter to grease two 9" round cake pans. Divide the 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder between the pans and swirl it around the pan to evenly coat the bottom and sides. Bang out any excess cocoa powder.
  4. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
  5. Heat the whole milk to just below a boil (you can do this on the stove or, more easily, in the microwave). Put the cocoa powder in a smallish bow, pour the hot milk over it, and whisk until the cocoa is fully dissolved. Add the coconut milk and whisk to combine.
  6. Put the butter, turbinado sugar, and granulated sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed for 3 minutes, making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl every minute. Add the eggs and beat on medium-high speed for 30 seconds. Add the ginger and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the ginger and vanilla and mix until combined.
  7. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just barely combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add 1/2 of the cocoa-milk mixture. Mix on low speed until barely combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and milk, ending with the flour.
  8. Divide the batter between the two prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, 22-24 minutes. (Note: my oven is crazy, and I've found that my baking times are often very different from what's noted in a recipe. Use your senses to determine if/when the cake is done - the timer is just a reminder to check on it.)
  9. Place the pans on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes, then invert the pans and let the cakes cool fully directly on the rack.
  10. Make the ginger simple syrup
  11. Put the granulated sugar, water, and ginger in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Let the mixture cool completely, then pour it through a small sieve and discard the ginger pieces.
  12. Make the ganache (I recommend doing this before baking the cakes, as it takes several hours for the ganache to set)
  13. Cut the stem end off the chiles and slice each one into quarters lengthwise. Tear the kaffir lime leaves into a few pieces each. Add the chiles, lime leaves, and cream to a small saucepan and bring to just below a boil. Turn off the heat, cover the pan, and let the cream steep for 15 minutes.
  14. Finely chop the chocolate and put it in a medium bowl.
  15. Bring the cream to a bare simmer, then pour it through a sieve directly onto the chocolate. Let the cream sit for 30 seconds, then gently but thoroughly whisk the mixture to melt all of the chocolate. Let the ganache sit at room temperature until it is firm but spreadable, about 2 hours. Alternately, you can put the bowl in the fridge, but make sure to stir it every 10 minutes so that it doesn't get too hard.
  16. Make the green curry buttercream
  17. Fill a medium saucepan with 2" of water and bring the water to a simmer. Put the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer. Place the bowl on top of the saucepan and whisk constantly until the sugar is fully dissolved, about 3 minutes. Transfer the bowl to the mixer and, using the whisk attachment, beat on high speed until the whites are glossy and hold stiff peaks and the bowl is cool to the touch, about 6 minutes.
  18. Cut the butter into 1/2 tablespoon size pieces. With the mixer running, add the butter a few pieces at a time, making sure that the previous addition is fully incorporated before adding more butter. After you've added all of the butter, continue mixing on high speed until the frosting comes together. It's a moment of alchemy - it will look soupy and curdled after you add all the butter, but have faith (and patience) - it will come together.
  19. Add the green curry paste and mix for 10 seconds on medium-high speed to evenly incorporate it.
  20. Make the coconut milk peanuts
  21. Coarsely chop the peanuts - I prefer doing this by putting the peanuts in a ziploc bag and smashing them with a rolling pin. Very therapeutic.
  22. Transfer the peanuts to a small bowl and heat them in the microwave for 1 minute, stopping halfway through to stir the peanuts. Add the coconut milk powder to the hot peanuts and stir well to combine.
  1. Assemble the cake
  2. If the tops of the cakes are domed, use a large serrated knife to level them.
  3. Put a little dab of frosting on a cake round or serving plate and place one cake on it with the bottom facing up. Using a pastry brush, generously brush the ginger simple syrup over the top of the cake. (I usually give it three good passes.)
  4. Spread the ganache on the cake in an even layer. Top with the remaining cake (again, the bottom side of the cake should be facing up). Brush the cake with the ginger simple syrup - you may not need all of it.
  5. Spread the frosting on the top and sides of the cake. If you want to be meticulous, you can first spread on a crumb coat (a very thin layer of frosting on the entire cake), chill the cake for a half hour, then top it off with the remaining frosting. I rarely do this as I am too lazy to do so unless my cake is for someone else - sorry family, you don't get a crumb coat.
  6. Sprinkle the peanuts on top of the cake.
  7. Cut yourself a big slice and, as you chew on the first bite, marvel at how the green curry in the frosting makes complete sense with all the other flavors in the cake and ganache.

See what other Food52ers are saying.

  • King Dash
    King Dash
  • Anitalectric
    Anitalectric
  • raspberryeggplant
    raspberryeggplant
  • Stephanie
    Stephanie

22 Reviews

Stephanie April 14, 2015
Made this for my friend's birthday and it was a huge hit! Took a long time but I the instructions were great. I made the mistake of putting the buttercream in the fridge once I finished it since I wasn't icing the cake right away - it went back to being fairly lumpy, but I think giving it another good whip would have fixed the problem. I ran out of time but no one noticed once I covered it with the peanuts!
 
King D. March 1, 2015
Sounds spicy but must taste delicious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Chris P. March 31, 2014
VERY unusual, sounds like it shouldn't work, but tastes great! I made it and bought into the office, colleagues thought I'd gone mad! Stuck to the recipe and was very pleased I managed to find all the ingredients including shrimp free curry paste! (For UK readers, Tesco sell "Maggi" Coconut Powder down the "World food aisle") If you're not a fan of the green curry in the frosting, I think a lemongrass/ginger version would work really well...
 
juliejohn September 22, 2013
Erica, yes. Have fun and let us know how it turned out!
 
Erica September 22, 2013
so is this recipe totally and completely written with all sanfus fixed at this point? I am dying to make it for an Oct bday. thats coming up.
 
juliejohn September 6, 2013
I made this for my birthday, and it is so good! I had a problem with the frosting, but it was my own fault. By the time I was making it, I had blown out my taste buds tasting the ginger syrup, the lime-and-chili ganache, and the can of green curry paste straight-up. I added the right amount to the frosting, and because I was so blown out I couldn't taste it, so I doubled the curry paste amount. The next day when we ate the cake, the frosting was overpoweringly garlicky, although intriguing. I ended up scraping it off and substituting a can of Duncan Hines milk chocolate frosting. Cheating, I know, but it saved the experiment and we have had LOTS of compliments. Just eating my umpteenth slice right now and loving it so much. Lots of fun to make, I feel like I graduated from chef school. Thank you for inventing it, RaspberryEggplant! You are a genius!
 
zoomorphic June 17, 2013
I made this as a birthday cake and it was a huge success! Even my ultra-picky foodie friends were raving over it. I personally found the recipe to be a lot of work and was swearing to myself that I'd never go to such baking lengths again, but as soon as I took a bite I knew this would be on my shortlist of go-to cakes. Worth it all the way.
 
raspberryeggplant June 17, 2013
Thanks!!! Even I think it's a lot of work, but I'm glad you agree that the end result is worth it. I haven't made it in ages but may have to do so sometime soon!
 
neighome May 27, 2013
Just as I put the cakes in the oven and closed the door, I noticed the ginger and vanilla all measured out and waiting. Apparently having a proper mis en place is not enough to keep this cook on track! It all smells delicious, hope it turns out.
 
raspberryeggplant May 27, 2013
I fixed the recipe to add those two items after the egg. Thanks all for noticing my error in the instructions - oops!
 
Lourierussell March 23, 2013
There is no instruction for adding the grated ginger and the vanilla. I assume that they're added to the cake batter just before it is put in the pans, right?
 
Shaz November 26, 2012
Hi Raspberryeggplant, Thanks very much for the advice on the pistachio cardamom cake. The Chocolate Thai green curry cake sounds exotic and I'm sure taste like heaven. I will have to try this one as well. Thank you.
 
Bunnie1 November 5, 2012
Made this today for a friends birthday dinner...... It was wonderful! I used toasted coconut and peanuts for the top but otherwise followed the recipe to a T. I would love to know what other rcipes you have up you sleeve!
 
raspberryeggplant November 5, 2012
This is my favorite cake so I'm happy to hear that you enjoyed it!
 
kstallbe August 21, 2012
I made it and it was awesome. A bit more effort than a "normal" cake, but hey, super tasty! It was a big hit. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe.

The recipe instructions do fail to mention the ginger and the vanilla. I simply added these to the cake batter and it worked very well. I used regular ginger root, and just chopped it VERY small. It only took a moment as the recipe does not call for much.

The cake layers were thin, like a typical layer cake thickness.

I did not find coconut milk powder. I substituted unsweetened coconut shreds (or whatever the package calls them) and added some chopped cashew (I couldnt find dry roasted peanuts either!) and sprinkled on top. Looked beautiful and was tasty.

 
Teenieboppers00 April 22, 2012
I was very excited to make this recipe today. When I got into making it, there were a couple of things that I wasn't sure about. The cake ingredients mentions vanilla and grated ginger, but unless I completely missed it, I didn't see where in the recipe this is added. Also, can I use a store-bought ginger paste? If so, would it be the same quantity. For the ganache, do I use the entire chili - ie both the chili and all of the seeds? Lastly, I found the batter to be barely enough and not create a very "think" cake. Is this the case?
 
sophia J. April 1, 2012
I made the cake layers and it's are the best chocolate-cake base I've ever made: moist, tender, not too fluffy, not too dense. Didn't make the icing because I didn't have any thai gree curry.
 
CathyB March 7, 2012
This looks wonderful! I will have to try it. I actually have some coconut milk powder in my pantry. BTW, you can buy coconut milk powder at King Arthur Flour's website. Thanks for the heads up about Taste of Thai's green curry paste being bland. I thought my jar was just old.
 
Jacoba B. March 4, 2012
Stunning recipe, delicious cake!
 
Anitalectric March 1, 2012
Roopa,

Congrats! This looks amazing.
 
raspberryeggplant March 1, 2012
Thanks Anita! I'm actually working on a vegan version with coconut milk in the ganache, coconut oil as a base for the frosting, and my standard vegan chocolate cake recipe (very different from the one used here).
 
raspberryeggplant February 18, 2012
I totally forgot to include the amount of butter for the cake (step 5) in the ingredients list - it's 4 ounces (1 stick) of unsalted butter, room temperature. Sorry for any confusion!