Just like everyone who bakes cakes, I have been on a mission to find the perfect chocolate cake for what seems like my whole life. This cake recipe is pretty close to perfect for what I like in my cake. Moist, dark, and chocolatey. Not too dense and not too light. I found the cake recipe at The Toque and Apron. I added some espresso powder because I feel it enhances the chocolate flavor.One problem though – I’m not found of traditional icing. So I made a caramel glaze and topped the cakes with chopped, toasted almonds. I added a bit of Vanilla Creme Anglaise, and the was a perfect dessert … at least for me …
Heat oven to 350 degrees F
Sift together
2 Cups all-purpose flour
2 Cups sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 Cup Hershey’s Special Dark unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tablespoons of finely ground espresso
Add in this order:
1 Cup vegetable oil
2 Cups hot water
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Pour into large size cupcake or muffin tin, bake for 20 -25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
Caramel glaze
1/2 Cup butter
1/2 Cup dark drown sugar, packed
1/2 Cup sugar
1/3 Cup of heavy cream or half and half.
1/2 tsp vanilla
Melt butter in a small saucepan and add sugars. Add cream and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Cook for 3-4 minutes on medium heat and then remove from burner … as it cools, it will begin to thicken. At this point I dipped the cakes in the glaze, and then in the toasted almonds. I love the flavor and texture of almonds, but you can just as easily omit them if you wish.
Vanilla Creme Anglaise
6 Extra-large eggs
½ Cup sugar
2 Cups milk
1½ tsp pure vanilla extract
Fill a large bowl with ice-water and keep it nearby.
Separate the eggs. We only use the yolks for making creme anglaise. You can save the whites for other recipes, like making an egg-white omelet.
Beat the egg yolks with a whisk for a minute or two, until they’re very smooth.
Add the sugar and whisk for about 2 more minutes, or until the the sugar is fully incorporated and the yolks are a pale shade of yellow.
Heat the milk in a double-boiler until it is not quite simmering. Don’t let it boil. You want to heat the milk until it reaches 180°F as measured with an instant-read thermometer.
Very slowly pour the hot milk into the egg and sugar mixture while whisking constantly. Don’t add the milk too fast or the eggs will cook, and you really don’t want that.
Return the custard to the double-boiler and gently heat, stirring continuously, until it reaches 185°F. The creme anglaise will be thick but still pourable.
Now set the top-part of your double-boiler into the bowl of ice-water to cool the creme anglaise. Stir in the vanilla. Stir the creme anglaise once in a while until it is fully cooled.
Now that you have all of the components made, you can plate them in a fun way that suits your own personality. I put the anglaise under the cake so you get some in every bite .I added a bit of chocolate ganache’ too, but that’s just me. Enjoy!
Soul of a Chef 