Chocolate Decadence Cake Recipe

Chocolate Decadence Cake Recipe

We are sharing this delicious recipe with permission from Janice Feuer, author of the book “Chocolate Decadence – a Truly Sinful Pleasure” available on Amazon HERE. Blog post photography by Colin Hough of Quady Winery.

Ingredients:

1 pound dark sweet chocolate

5 ounces sweet butter

4 large eggs

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon flour

2 cups whipping cream

1 tablespoon powered sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate curls made from one-quarter pound dark sweet chocolate 8 ounces fresh or frozen raspberries

Instructions:

Step One: Turn on the oven to 450 degrees.

Step Two: Cut a round of parchment paper to fit perfectly inside the bottom of an eight-inch round cake plan (alternatively, butter and flour a round of waxed paper).

Step Three: In the top of a double-broiler, melt together one pound of the finest dark sweet chocolate you can find with five ounces of wondrously sweet butter. As soon as the butter and chocolate are melted and satiny smooth, remove from heat and proceed to step four.

Step Four: Whisking all of the while, place four eggs and one tablespoon sugar in the top of a double boiler or bain marie* until the sugar dissolves and the mixture darkens and becomes barely warm to the touch. Acting quickly, remove the eggs from the heat and beat at the absolutely highest speed of an electric mixer until the eggs reach their potential treble volume and are the consistency of lightly whipped cream (fie to ten minutes). *This is an extravagant French word for simply placing a goodly-sized mixing bowl (not the kind that would melt) in a pan or gently bubbling water on top of the stove.

Step Five: Remove the mixer. With your cupped hand, fold in one tablespoon of flour. Do this very, very gently…now sensuously mix one third of the voluptuous egg mixture into the resting chocolate.

Step Six: Once the egg and rested chocolate are carefully combined, using the utmost tenderness and again with your hand, fold the chocolate mixture into the remaining whipped eggs. When no longer marbled, pour your uncooked Chocolate Decadence into its prepared pan. Tap the pan lightly on the table and place it into the preheated oven.

Step Seven: Remove the pan from the oven after NO MORE than fifteen minutes. The Decadence will be luxuriously soft in its center and crusty on its top. When it has cooled, place the cake, while still in the pan, into the freezer for at least a good night’s rest*. *Chocolate Decadence can be frozen for up to a month, while waiting its day of splendor.

Step Eight: On the chosen day, whip two cups of heavy cream with one tablespoon powdered sugar and one teaspoon pure vanilla extract. The cream must be smooth, silky and firm enough not only to smother the cake, but also to hold its own shape when piped. Do not over whip.

Step Nine: Make chocolate curls from one-quarter pound of the same wondrous chocolate using the homely potato peeler. Having the chocolate slightly above room temperature makes it delightfully susceptible to curling.

Step Ten: Puree and strain eight ounces of the fresh or frozen raspberries*. Put the Luscious red mixture into the prettiest bowl in the pantry. *You may choose to add powdered sugar to the fresh berries to soften just a little of their tartness.

Step Eleven: Remove the Chocolate Decadence from the freezer and from its pan by momentarily spinning the pan over high heat. Turn the cake out into a flat platter. Remove the parchment paper. Mask the Decadence with two-thirds of the whipped cream. Pile the chocolate curls precariously high in the center, then pope rosettes with the remaining cream majestically around the edge surrounding the curled chocolate. Refrigerate your creation, but remove fifteen minutes before serving to twelve marvelously close, or to eight hopelessly-decadent friends. And, oh yes, pass the raspberry puree…