Many may be considering this weekend their last hurrah before they make their way through lent. Others of you may be getting recommitted to those promises you made yourself at the beginning of the year. Today, we’re here to give you one last shot at decadence before March gets into full swing.
The truth is, few things beat a slice of decadent chocolate cake. To make it even better (and, of course, more decadent) we have topped it off with a thick coat of fudgy chocolate and sprinkled it with even more chocolate. This simple recipe is great to have in your arsenal and is a crowd-pleaser every time. We’ll get to those more healthy desserts later this month.
savour... the last hurrahs
THE CHOCOLATE CAKE
Before you start:
This cake is dense. To keep it moist, avoid over baking.
To obtain a rich flavor, use bittersweet or dark chocolate if you prefer. The turbinado sugar and molasses add some depth to the overall taste.
The egg whites should be folded in gently but must be fully incorporated.
Store the cake in an airtight container out of the refrigerator. Storing in the refrigerator will cause the chocolate topping to harden.
The ingredients:
For the cake:
- 1 ¼ cups bittersweet chocolate pieces / 200g
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened / 140g
- 1 cup turbinado sugar / 200g
- 1 tablespoon molasses
- 5 large eggs, separated
- 1 tsp baking powder
- Pinch salt
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour / 100g
For the topping:
- 1 ½ cups bittersweet chocolate pieces / 250g
- tablespoon dark corn syrup
- 7 tablespoons unsalted butter / 100g
- ¼ cup chocolate sprinkles / 40g
The method:
For the cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line an 8” springform pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a small saucepan filled with 1 inch of water. Heat over medium heat until chocolate is melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Process sugar in a grinder or food processor until finely ground. Add butter, sugar, and molasses to a medium bowl and beat until smooth and creamy (about 2 minutes).
4. Add egg yolks, one at a time, to the butter mixture and beat until well combined. Stir in melted chocolate until well combined. Add flour, baking powder, and salt. Fold until just mixed in.
5. Whisk egg whites to soft peaks. Gently fold into batter.
6, Spread batter into a springform pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (about 35-38 minutes). Do not over bake.
7. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
For the topping:
1. Place all ingredients in a small heatproof bowl over a small saucepan filled with 1 inch of water. Heat over medium how heat until melted. Set aside to cool slightly.
2. Place icing in the refrigerator and stir occasionally (about every 10 min) until smooth and spreadable.
3. Pour icing over cooled cake and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Top cake with chocolate sprinkles and press down lightly to secure to icing.
4. Store in an airtight container.
