Ben (my brother): "Is that basically just a huge piece of ganache?"
Me: [nods]
No joke, this is the fastest I've ever gone from making something for the first time to writing about it. This cake is NUTSO INSANELY GOOD. I can't make the caps big enough. Oh, wait...
NUTSO INSANELY GOOD
That's better.
Do you want to make people insane with chocolate lust using only 6 ingredients?
Do you know someone special whose favorite anything is chocolate? (you know, dessert, body wash, play dough...)
Do you want to eat something that will induce instant cursing of joy?
You've come to the right place.
So it's actually a bit thicker than a ganache, but a bit softer/has more of a chew than a truffle. And boy does a tiny slice go far. Dress it up with a little whipped cream/coconut cream and berries, or just sift some cocoa on top and let it do it's thing. And it's thing is making people's jaws drop and their belts loosen.
Chocolate, butter/margarine, sugar, salt, eggs, liquer/flavoring. And a little water. That's it!
Happy Baking!
Adapted from Zingerman's Bakehouse in Ann Arbor, Michigan; via King Arthur Flour
Makes one 9" round 1.5" high cake, serves 20-25
INGREDIENTS/SUPPLIES
1lb. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate (chopped or - ideally - in disc/callet form so you don't have to chop a pound of chocolate and make a mess of your kitchen)
6 ounces unsalted butter or margarine (3/4c)
5.3 ounces water (2/3c)
266 grams sugar (1+1/3c)
1/2 teaspoon salt (if your margarine is salted use 1/4 teaspoon)
7 large eggs
1/4 cup liquer or liquor, or 1TB vanilla, and/or 1/2 teaspoon flavored extract (optional)*
*I used 1/4c chambord and the raspberry didn't really come through; I should have supplemented it with 1/2tsp of raspberry extract. I'll try this with 1/4c Bourbon next!
Roasting pan or glass dish wider than 9" and boiling water for water bath
9" round cake pan
Shortening or pan spray for greasing
9" parchment round (if you haven't bought pre-cut, trace the bottom of the cake pan on parchment and cut it out)
Small saucepan
Large mixing bowl
Small mixing bowl
Fork & butter knife
Flat serving plate or tray
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oven to 350°F and boil a kettle of water for the water bath.
Spray or grease a 9" round cake pan. Place the parchment circle centered on the bottom of the pan, using your finger tips/nails to press it into the crease in the pan, and then grease the parchment.
Add 1lb. chopped or disc semi- or bittersweet chocolate to the large mixing bowl, and cut into cubes then add 6oz butter or margarine (3/4c).
In your small saucepan, boil 5.3oz water (2/3c), 266g sugar (1+1/3c), and 1/2tsp salt. Stir occasionally - and gently - to assist in the sugar dissolving.
Pour the sugar-water over the chocolate/butter, and let sit for one minute.
Stir gently until the mixture is completely melted, smooth, and shiny. Let cool for at least 10 minutes, so you don't end up with scrambled eggs in your chocolate.
Mix 7 eggs with a fork until well blended. Don't overmix them as you don't want to incorporate air into the cake (hence the fork instead of a whisk).
If you're using liquer or flavoring, add it to the eggs and mix until combined.
Add the egg mixture to the chocolate and mix gently until completely combined. Don't beat it!
Pour the batter into your greased + parchment-ed 9" pan.
Place your roasting pan or 11x15 pan onto the center rack of your oven, and place the 9" cake pan in the center.
Carefully pour boiling water into the corner of the roasting pan, taking care not to splash it into your cake batter, until water comes up about halfway on the cake pan.
Bake the cake for 45 to 50 minutes, until the center feels set to the touch, and the edges just start pulling away from the sides of the pan.
Carefully remove the cake from the hot water. Cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
Once the cake is thoroughly chilled, to remove it from the pan start by running a knife around the edge of the pan once or twice.
Set the pan over a low flame or burner on the stove for 30 seconds. Using pot holders, remove the pan from the heat, then place your serving plate centered on top of the pan, and flip it all over together then placing it own on a table.
Using a butter knife handle, tap the edge of the pan hard all around the edges on one side, then a few times around on top if the cake hasn't released.
At this point if the cake hasn't released, repeat the process - making sure to use oven mitts! The few times I've made this I've always had to do this process twice, and the second time I can usually start to hear a little of the grease in the pan start to bubble under the cake right before I remove it from the heat. That's ok!
Once the cake has released, remove the pan and peel the parchment off the cake.
Refrigerate the cake, uncovered, for 15 minutes, to allow the top to firm before cutting. Serve chilled, dusted with cocoa, or alongside whipped cream/coconut cream and berries. Cut small pieces! It's super rich, and people always love going back for more.
This cake will keep covered in the fridge for up to four days (yeah no way it'll last that long in my house), but it can also be frozen.
To do so, freeze it on parchment or wax paper on a cutting board or plate for one hour until it's solid enough to handle. Then transfer to wrap in two layers of plastic wrap and one layer of aluminum. To defrost make sure you unwrap it completely and defrost it on a serving plate, covered, overnight in the fridge. You may need to wipe some moisture from the plate after it defrosts.