Bete Noire Chocolate Cake
- 8 ounces unsweetened chocolate
- 1/2 lb sweet unsalted butter, at room temp cut into small pieces
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
- 1/2 cup water
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 1/3 cups sugar
- Ganache
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the center of the oven.
- Butter a 9" cake pan (not a springform) and place a circle of parchment or wax paper on the bottom, covering it completely. Butter the paper.
- Chop both the chocolates into fine pieces and set them aside.
- Combine the water with 1 cup of the sugar in a heavy 1 1/2 quart saucepan. Bring to a rapid boil over high heat and cook about 2 minutes.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately add the chocolate pieces, stirring until they are completely melted. Then add the butter, piece by piece, stirring to melt it completely.
- Place the eggs and the remaining 1/3 cup sugar in either the bowl of an electric mixer or a regular mixing bowl. For a cake with a crunchy crust: beat the eggs and sugar in the electric mixer until they have tripled in volume. For a smooth top (better for frosting): mix the eggs and sugar only until the sugar dissolves.
- Add the chocolate/butter mixture to the eggs and mix to incorporate completely. DO NOT OVERBEAT! - this causes nasty air bubbles.
- Spoon and scrape the mixture into the prepared pan.
- Set the pan into a slightly larger pan or a sturdy jelly-roll pan.
- Set both in the oven and pour hot water into the larger pan.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes.
- Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then run a sharp knife around the sides to release the cake. Cover with plastic wrap and unmold onto a cookie sheet. Invert a serving plate over the cake and flip it over, so the plate is on the bottom and the cake on top. (Ed. Note: I cook longer as I don't trust the consistency. It's very "soft").
- Ganache:.
- Scald the cream.
- Add the chocolate off the heat, and stir very gently until smooth.
- Cool slightly and pour over cake.
chocolate, sweet unsalted butter, bittersweet chocolate, water, eggs, sugar, ganache, heavy cream, bittersweet chocolate
Taken from www.food.com/recipe/bete-noire-chocolate-cake-208262 (may not work)