A Restaurant Insider recipe
Cake ingredients
2 1/2 cups cake flour, unbleached and organic
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt or fleur de sel
1 1/2 sticks unsalted organic butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 3/4 ounces semisweet fair trade dark chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla seeds
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups water, chilled
1/8 cup Frangelico liqueur, to drizzle
Dark and white fair trade chocolate shavings, for decoration
1/8 cup flour, unbleached and organic
1/8 cup butter, organic
Directions
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy.
Add melted chocolate and vanilla; beat for three minutes.
Add eggs one at a time. Scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula and beat for three minutes. Mix in dry ingredients in two batches, alternating with cold water. Beat for 1.5 minute after each addition to incorporate the ingredients, mixing until a smooth batter has been achieved. Coat two 9-inch-round spring-form cake pans with butter and dust with flour.
Cut two circles of parchment paper to fit the pan bottoms and place them inside the pans; then butter the paper just because. Pour batter into pans, smooth the surface with a spatula. Pans should be 2/3 full. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
Cool 40 minutes. Turn cakes out of pans, remove paper. Drizzle with a few tablespoons of Frangelico.
With a spatula, spread 1/2 cup butter cream on top one layer. Start in the center and work outwardly, making sure that frosting is evenly spread. Place the second layer on top of first and spread frosting over the top, leaving the sides exposed – not frosted.
Refrigerate 5 minutes before decorating.
With a micro-plane grater, scrape some shavings from, small blocks of dark and white chocolate over the top of the cake.
Chill for 5 additional minutes, remove, cut and serve.
Chef’s tip – Use a bamboo skewer or a small knife to check that the cake is cooked. A little bit underdone is OK and will add some extra decadence to the final product.
Optional – You can use small pastry molds to make mini versions of this cake. Assembly will be identical, just that the molds will be smaller and more numerous.
Additional garnishes may include fresh raspberries, blackberries, or a fresh fruit coulis and vanilla ice cream to round out this over the top chocolate experience.
Chunky chocolate butter cream frosting (Prep time: 10 minutes)
3.5 cups powdered sugar
8 tablespoons hot water
4.5 ounces 70% fair trade dark chocolate, melted and slightly cooled
1 teaspoon fresh vanilla seeds
1/2 stick unsalted organic butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup fair trade dark chocolate chunks, chopped
In the bowl of an electric mixer, dissolve the sugar and water at low speed. Beat in dark chocolate and vanilla. Add butter in small bits. Mix thoroughly. Using a spatula, fold in the chopped chocolate. Remove and reserve to frost the cakes.
