Chef

Administrator
Staff member
THE CHOCOLATE
2 teaspoons instant espresso coffee
1/4 cup boiling water
7 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate
2 ounces unsweetened (bitter) chocolate

THE CAKE PANS
2 8" × 1 1/2" round one-piece cake pans (4 cup capacity)
2 teaspoons soft butter
2 rounds wax paper, cut to fit bottom of pans
1/4 cup flour

THE BATTER
4 large eggs, if chilled, set in tepid water for 5 minutes
3/4 cup sugar, extra-fine granulated if possible
4 ounces soft unsalted butter (one stick)
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons additional sugar
3/4 cup cornstarch

FOR THE CHOCOLATE AND BUTTER GLAZE
1 teaspoon instant espresso coffee
2 tablespoons boiling water
4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
2 ounces unsalted butter (1/2 stick)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and set rack in lower-middle level of the oven.
_______________

The Chocolate
Blend the coffee and water in the pan, set in larger pan of simmering water, and remove from heat. Break up the chocolate, stir it into the coffee; cover and set aside to melt slowly until you are ready to use it.
_______________

The Cake Pans
Smear butter inside both cake pans, covering them completely. Place wax paper in bottom of each, butter it, then roll flour around in first pan to coat inside completely. Knock flour out into second pan, coat it, and knock out excess flour.
_______________

The Batter
Separate the eggs, dropping the whites into the beating bowl, and the yolks in the mixing bowl. Start beating the egg yolks, gradually adding in the sugar, and continue until yolks are thick, pale yellow, and, when a bit is lifted in blades of beater, it drops off in a thick ribbon that slowly dissolves on the surface of the mixture — about 3 minutes of beating.
_______________

Finishing the Chocolate
Chocolate should now be soft. If not, remove pan and reheat water; remove from heat, set chocolate pan in again, and beat the chocolate with the portable mixer until perfectly smooth. Beat in the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, then gradually beat the chocolate and butter into the egg-yolk mixture.
_______________

The Egg Whites
Immediately change beater blades, (or rapidly and thoroughly wash and dry dirty blades), and proceed to the egg whites. Start beating at moderately low speed for a minute or so, until foaming, and beat in cream of tartar and salt. Gradually increase speed to fast and continue beating until egg whites hold their shape in soft peaks; they are now ready to be folded into cake batter. (Time: 2 to 4 minutes, circulating beater consistently around bowl for fastest action.)
_______________

Folding
Being sure chocolate and egg-yolks mixture is smooth and soft — stir over hot water if yolks have stiffened — sift in one-quarter of the cornstarch, and scoop in one-quarter of the egg whites; stir in with rubber spatula. Then scoop rest of egg whites on top, sift in one-third of the remaining cornstarch, and begin to fold as follows: Plunge rubber spatula down from top center of egg whites to bottom of bowl, bring to edge of bowl, then turn it as you lift it back up to the surface, thus bringing a bit of the chocolate up over the egg whites. Rapidly repeat the movement several times, rotating the bowl as you do so. Sift in half the rest of the cornstarch, continue with several rapid scoops of the spatula, then sift in the last of the cornstarch, and continue folding until blended. The whole process should not take much more than a minute, and your object is to deflate the egg whites as little as possible.
_______________

In the Cake Pans
At once turn the batter into the two prepared cake pans, running it up the edge all around with your spatula to prevent cakes from humping in the middle as they bake. Pans will be about half full. Bang once on work surface to settle batter and place in preheated oven, one near rear corner of the rack and the other diagonally across near the front corner.
_______________

Baking
Set timer for 15 minutes. Cake will rise to about top of pans and are done when only the center shakes a little when moved gently. A cake tester should come out almost clean when inserted around the edges, but have a number of wet brown specks attached to it when plunged in the center 2 inches.
_______________

Cooling and Unmolding
Set pans on rack, for air circulation, and let cool. Cakes will sink slightly, and will shrink from sides of pan. Because cake texture is very soft and delicate, you will find them easier to unmold when chilled and firm; thus, when cool, wrap and refrigerate for an hour or so.
_______________

Filling, Icing, and Serving
Melt chocolate with the coffee as described above, then beat in the butter. If too liquid for easy spreading, beat over ice cold water until lightly thickened. Unmold one of the cakes directly onto serving plate and stick pieces of wax paper underneath all around to catch icing dribbles. Spread top with a 1/4 inch layer of icing. With the help of a flexible-blade spatula, unmold second cake on top of the first. Cover top and sides with icing. Peel out the wax paper strips from under the cake. If you are serving soon, leave at room temperature; otherwise, cover with an upside-down bowl and refrigerate. Let come to room temperature for an hour or so before serving to let the chocolate icing regain its bloom and the cake its texture. 8" x 2" cake.

Notes: This is a very special chocolate cake — very chocolaty, brown, bittersweet, and buttery, yet very light and delicate in texture. It really needs no icing at all, but is nevertheless filled and covered with a glittering chocolate-butter glaze. Like most French chocolate cakes it is moist, and, even by other standards, slightly underdone. As for technique, rather than being a whole-egg batter, this is the separated egg method where you beat the yolks and sugar, add the melted chocolate, and fold in stiffly-beaten egg whites. To keep the cake light, sifted cornstarch rather than flour goes in. You can make a chocolate cake with no starch at all, by the way, but to my mind you produce more of a chocolate pudding than a cake.

Equipment:
• For melting chocolate, a covered 6-cup saucepan and a second pan of simmering water that will hold the first
• a clean dry beating bowl for the egg whites
• a 3 to 4 quart mixing bowl for the yolks
• a portable electric beater with, if possible, 2 sets of blades
• a sifter set over wax paper
• a cake tester or wooden toothpick.

Cuisine: French
 
Last edited:
Top