Crying Onions

All cakes should be homemade. If the frosting is messy (or there’s no frosting at all), I don’t care. If a big chunk falls off when you’re plating it, oops! But cakes are special. They mark important events, and when I get a homemade cake, in all its non-professional, crumb-riddled glory, I know that someone cares. Apparently, I’m in good company.

So when I heard that a friend and coworker was leaving my office to go back to school, I had to send her off with a homemade cake. I started with a flourless chocolate cake from the Gourmet Cookbook that’s incredibly easy to throw together. Then I spread on a layer of peanut butter frosting, and topped it all with a coat of dark chocolate ganache and some almond bark.

I’m not a cake decorator. Hell, I don’t even have a cake platter. But despite many superficial flaws, this cake is the most decadent, luscious chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten. It put a smile on everyone’s face. And nobody cared that it looked funny. Because I’m not a professional baker, and this cake was homemade.

Adapted from the Gourmet Cookbook
Serves 12-16

What you need:

Cake

• 8 oz dark chocolate or chocolate chips (60% cocoa content)
• 2 sticks (1 c) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 c sugar
• 6 eggs
• 1 c cocoa powder

Frosting

• 1 c creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 c powdered sugar
• 1/4 c milk

Ganache

• 8 oz dark chocolate or chocolate chips (60% cocoa content)
• 1/2 c heavy cream

What to do:

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 10 inch springform pan or round cake pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of wax paper, and grease the wax paper. Dust the pan with cocoa powder.
2. Melt chocolate and butter together in a microwave or double boiler.
3. Remove from heat, whisk in sugar, then eggs one at a time. Stir in cocoa powder until combined.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake 35-40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs. Remove from oven and cool completely.
5. To remove from pan, cut around the sides, then flip onto a plate. The cake should fall out. Remove wax paper from the bottom, and then flip onto the serving plate.

Frosting

1. Whisk all ingredients together until combined. Spread on top of cake

Ganache

1. Melt the chocolate and cream together in a double boiler over simmering water, stirring gently. Let cool slightly before spreading on top of the peanut butter and letting ganache fall down the sides.
2. Optionally, top cake with almond bark.

Tags: cake

Posted October 21st, 2009 at 6:43 pm. Categories: desserts. Leave a comment or trackback from your own site.