Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Cake

Makes 10 servings.

 Gluten free, light, airy and delicious, this cake is easy to make and especially good for Passover. You can make it even tastier by serving it with berries or sorbet.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 7 ounces imported semi-sweet chocolate, broken into small pieces

  • 6 eggs at room temperature (See Note)

  • ½ cup scant measure sugar

  • ¾ generous cup blanched almond flour

PREPARATION:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350F.

  2. Line a 9 x 2 ½ inch spring form pan with parchment paper.

  3. Place the chocolate in the top of a double boiler. Cover and set over simmering water, stir from time to time, until chocolate is melted. Remove the top and let cool a bit. 

  4. Beat egg yolks at medium speed, adding sugar gradually until pale and thick, about 5 minutes.

  5. With a rubber spatula add the chocolate and almond flour.  Combine well.

  6. Beat the egg whites at high speed until stiff.

  7. With a large rubber spatula fold half of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then reverse the process, pouring the mixture over the egg whites.

  8. Gradually fold the two together making a motion like a figure eight until well combined.

  9. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Bake for about 25 minutes. A cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center should come out dry.

  10. Cool on a wire rack.

NOTE:

It is easier to separate the eggs straight from the refrigerator, while they are cold, as the egg yolks tend to break as they warm.

When the recipe calls for stiffly beaten egg whites, the best way to know whether they are fully beaten is to tilt the bowl – they will stay in the bowl even when tilted.     

 
 

Chocolate Soufflé Cake

Chocolate+Souffle+Cake.jpg

Makes 12 -14 servings . 

This flowerless, light, chocolaty dessert is truly delicious.  I love to serve it with Crème Chantilly.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 1 tablespoon for buttering the pan

  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour  

  • 8 ounces high quality imported semi-sweet chocolate 

  • 6 eggs at room temperature (See Note)

  • Scant ½ cup sugar

  • 6 tablespoons cornstarch 

CRÈME CHANTILLY :

  • 2 cups heavy cream, chilled

  • 2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

  • 2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, or other liquor

PREPARATION:

  1. Grease a 9 by 2 ½-inch spring form pan with butter and dust with flour. Invert pan and tap to shake off excess.     

  2. Melt the butter and cool to lukewarm. 

  3. Break chocolate into small pieces and melt in a double boiler. Cool, add the butter and combine well. 

  4. Preheat oven to 350F.

  5. In an electric mixer, at high speed, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Very gradually add the sugar and beat until stiff.  

  6. Lower the speed to medium, add 1 egg yolk at a time and continue beating for 3 minutes.  

  7. Spoon cornstarch into a sifter and sift half of it over the batter along with half of the chocolate.   Fold with a large rubber spatula making a motion like a figure 8 and scraping the batter from the sides and BOTTOM of bowl.

  8. Repeat with the remaining cornstarch and chocolate. Be sure the final batter is well combined.

  9. Pour batter into the prepared pan, distributing it evenly.  

  10. Bake in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes. The inside of the cake will be moist and the center will appear loose.

  11.  Cool on a wire rack.  

  12. Remove the rim. Loosen the bottom with a metal spatula and invert onto a platter. The bottom will now be the top.    

TO MAKE CRÈME CHANTILLY:

  1. I recommend beating the cream in a metal bowl which I chill in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. The colder the bowl, the less likely the cream will separate, especially if the bowl is prepared in advance. 

  2. When the cream begins to take shape, add the sugar and continue beating at high speed until almost firm. With a rubber spatula fold in the liquor. Transfer to a container and refrigerate.

NOTE:

I separate the eggs while they are cold. This prevents the yolks from breaking.

 

Chocolate Chestnut Cake

Makes 10 -12 serving.

I make this cake with butter and with margarine. I find both to be delicious, but the one with butter is a trifle better; especially when served with a dollop of whipped cream.

The pareve version works very well served plain or with raspberry sauce and raspberries. The cake itself takes no time to make and it does stay very moist refrigerated or frozen.

INGREDIENTS

  • 4 ounces imported semi-sweet chocolate, broken into small pieces
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter/ margarine, at room temperature, cut into small pieces plus ½ tablespoon of either for greasing the pan.
  • 4 large eggs, at room temperature
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ cup chestnut flour (See Note)
  • 10 roasted chestnuts, cut into very small pieces (See Note)

WHIPPED CREAM

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon confectioner’s sugar

RASPBERRY SAUCE

  • One 12 ounce package unsweetened frozen raspberries, thawed
  • 2 -3 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

PREPARATION

  1. Preheat oven to 375F.
  2. Grease a 9 inch spring form pan with butter/margarine.
  3. Melt chocolate, butter/margarine in a double boiler set over high heat until melted. Stir until smooth. Remove the top.
  4. Place the egg yolks in a bowl of an electric stand mixer. Using the balloon whisk attachment, beat the eggs, at medium speed, adding gradually ¼ cup of sugar for about 5 minutes. Add the chocolate until combined. With a rubber spatula fold in the flour and chestnuts. Combine well.
  5. Wash and thoroughly dry the mixer bowl and beat the egg whites, at high speed, until they lightly foam, gradually adding the rest of the sugar until whites are stiff.
  6. With a large rubber spatula, fold ½ of the whites into to the chocolate batter.  Reverse the process, pouring the chocolate mixture over the whites. Fold the two mixtures together, making a motion like a figure 8 until well combined.
  7. Pour the batter into the pan, distributing the batter evenly.
  8. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out almost dry and the top is springy to the touch.
  9. Cool on a wire rack.
  10. Run a metal spatula around the sides of the pan and remove the rim. Run the spatula to release the bottom and invert onto a serving platter.
  11. After cutting a few slices of the cake be sure to clean the metal spatula or knife. The cake is quite moist.

WHIPPED CREAM

  1. Whip the cream with the sugar to a soft consistency.

RASBERRY SAUCE

  1. Puree the raspberries in a blender until smooth.
  2. Strain through a medium-mesh sieve. Push the solids through the sieve with the back of a spoon to obtain as much puree as possible. Be sure to scrape the underside of the sieve. Discard the pulp left in the sieve.
  3. Season to taste with sugar.

NOTE:

Roasted chestnuts come in cans or 14.8 ounce jars. Leftovers can be frozen.

Chestnut flour is available in specialty stores. Keep it in a cool place, refrigerated or frozen.