Bahlsen North America Celebrates 125 Years With Birthday Cake Recipe Contest
“Waiting On Martha” Blogger Mandy Kellogg Rye Wins Grand Prize for Her
Dark Chocolate Ganache Cookie Cake Recipe
Today, September 16, is the most common birth date in the United States and is also the year that European specialty cookie brand Bahlsen is celebrating 125 years of making premium treats. In honor of their landmark anniversary, Bahlsen North America has chosen to celebrate with a birthday cake recipe contest. The Bahlsen “Let the Good Times Roll” Birthday Cake Recipe Contest invited 15 top food bloggers to develop an easy-to-make cake recipe featuring Waffeletten, Bahlsen’s signature chocolate-dipped rolled wafer cookies. The prize – tuition to the 3-day Bleu Ribbon Kitchen from the legendary Le Cordon Bleu (including a trip for two to one of the school’s US locations) – goes to Mandy Kellogg Rye, the blogger behind Waiting On Martha, for her “Dark Chocolate Ganache Cookie Cake.” The winning recipe was chosen because the “richer than rich chocolate cake” that features Bahlsen Waffeletten cookies between each layer and crumbled on top tastes as amazing as it looks – and thanks to a boxed cake mix version, the recipe is surprisingly easy to make.
Not only is September 16 the most popular birth date, but September is also the month in which the most babies are born, according to recent studies. This made September the perfect time for Bahlsen North America to celebrate the brand’s 125th birthday with this exclusive birthday cake recipe contest. All 15 of the “Let the Good Times Roll” birthday cake recipe contest entries will be featured on the brand’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/BahlsenUS, beginning with the winning recipe today and “rolling out” one per day through the end of this popular birth month.
Available in milk and dark chocolate varieties, Waffeletten cookies represent the innovative indulgences that Bahlsen has been serving up for 125 years. A crunchy, golden wafer is rolled into delicate, crisp layers and dipped in rich European chocolate, resulting in a beautiful texture that delivers a brilliant taste combination.
“Bahlsen cookies are bite-sized indulgences, carefully crafted with the finest ingredients to bring the taste of luxury to everyone. That’s why we chose to celebrate our anniversary with a birthday cake contest: because everyone has a birthday, and everyone should enjoy some sweetness in their life. On their special day and every day, treats like Bahlsen Waffeletten can help let the good times roll,” explained Federico Meade, President of Bahlsen North America. “We were so impressed by all of the bloggers’ creativity and enthusiasm, but in the end we had to choose one – and Mandy Kellogg Rye really captured the spirit of Bahlsen with her Dark Chocolate Ganache Cookie Cake recipe.”
“I was honored to be invited to participate in Bahlsen’s birthday cake contest, and being chosen as the winner will allow me to fulfill my dream of attending culinary school, if just for a few days,” said Mandy Kellogg Rye, whose “Waiting On Martha” blog focuses on “living life beautifully every single day.” Rye, an Atlanta resident, is an editorial and interior stylist, and her site was recently named a top ten blog for entertaining by Better Homes & Gardens. “My recipe was inspired by the rich dark chocolate of Bahlsen Waffeletten and by my mother’s love for dark chocolate. The crunch of the cookies, the creaminess of the buttercream frosting and the silkiness of the dark chocolate ganache come together in a dessert that I feel is magical – and I’m so glad the judges agreed.”
Here is the winning Bahlsen “Let the Good Times Roll” Birthday Cake Recipe, “Dark Chocolate Ganache Cookie Cake.” Rye provided two versions of her recipe: an easy-to-make version (below) as well as a “from scratch” version, which can be seen on her blog, www.WaitingOnMartha.com.
Dark Chocolate Ganache Cookie Cake featuring Bahlsen Waffeletten
Ingredients:
For the Cake:
- Bahlsen Dark Chocolate Waffeletten (1 package)
- 1 Dark Chocolate Cake Mix for a double layer cake, 2 Dark Chocolate Cake Mixes for a triple layer cake and all of the suggested ingredients on the box (eggs, oil, and water)
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
- 3-4 jars of Buttercream Frosting
For the Ganache Topping:
- 16 ounces high quality semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions:
For the Cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease 3 - 8 or 9 inch round cake pans.
3. Follow cake mix directions to make batter
4. Spread batter evenly between the 3 prepared pans and sprinkle mini chocolate chips in each pan.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes.
6. While cake bakes crumble your Bahlsen cookies and set aside.
7. Allow to completely cool before leveling and frosting, you can even allow them to cool overnight.
8. For the Ganache Topping **begin making this once your cake is chilling in the refrigerator**
9. Cook the chocolate chips and heavy cream in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally.
Build your Cake:
10. You can make the cake 2 or 3 layers.
11. Level each cake using a cake leveler or large knife. Simply place your hand on top of the cake and cut the top, rounded layer off to make it flat and thinner.
12. Place your first layer on a cake plate and frost the top with a thin layer of buttercream, add a layer of cookie crumble. Continue with the second, and third layer if desired. Do not add cookie crumble to the top layer.
13. Once cake is assembled add remaining frosting to the top and begin frosting the entire cake until the entire top and sides are frosted.
14. Place in refrigerator to chill for 20-30 minutes.
15. Remove and pour ganache on the top of the cake allowing it to drip down the sides. Add remaining cookie crumble, serve immediately.
The Bahlsen “Let the Good Times Roll” Birthday Cake Recipe Contest was executed by The S3 Agency in Boonton, NJ. For more information about Bahlsen North America, please visit www.Bahlsen.US or www.facebook.com/BahlsenUS.
Contact: Courtney Manders
973-257-5533 or cmanders@theS3agency.com
About Bahlsen North America
For 125 years, generations of the Bahlsen family have made European cookies enjoyed by generations of cookie lovers. Bahlsen’s origins lie in the entrepreneurial spirit of its founder, Hermann Bahlsen, who launched is business in 1889 in Hanover, Germany, where his descendants carry on the company today. Proud to be known as the largest family-run cookie producer in the world, the Bahlsens maintain the twin standards that their grandfather established: traditional quality and innovative improvements. Bahlsen North America, headquartered in East Hanover, New Jersey, ensures that the brand continues to develop products that satisfy the North American taste profile. To find out more about Bahlsen North America, visit www.Bahlsen.us and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/BahlsenUS.
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