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A Great Cake
Martha tried a new cake recipe from the May 2005 issue of Bon Appetit magazine. She described it as very creamy, not dry, and not too sweet. One of our friends she served it to said it "changed his life." Imagine a cake doing that for you! Here is the recipe.
Flourless Chocolate Cake With Coconut
16 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped and divided
10 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 extra-large eggs, separated
2/3 cup sugar
½ cup whipping cream
¼ cup toasted coconut
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 10-inch-diameter cake pan lined with wax or parchment paper. Stir 10 ounces of chocolate and butter in a large metal bowl set over a large saucepan of barely simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove bowl from over water and cool slightly.
Whisk egg yolks and sugar in medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites in another large bowl until peaks form. Fold yolk mixture, then chocolate mixture into egg whites until just blended. Transfer batter to prepared cake pan. Gently tap cake pan on work surface to eliminate large bubbles in batter.
Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cake to rack and cool completely (center will sink). Press outer edges of cake down to level top. Run thin knife around pan sides to release cake. Turn cake out onto rack and peel off parchment paper. Invert cake onto platter.
Place remaining 6 ounces of chocolate in medium bowl. Bring whipping cream to boil in small saucepan. Pour cream over chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Pour chocolate mixture onto cake, spreading just to edges. Sprinkle with toasted coconut. Refrigerate until chocolate topping is set, about 2 hours. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.)
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Martha said she used bittersweet chocolate. Prepare yourself. The cake really does collapse after you take it out of the oven. Martha didn't have a ten inch cake pan, so she used a springform pan. Because of this, she didn't invert the cake like the directions said. She just left it on the bottom piece of the springform. In the end, she was glad she did, since it was such a delicate cake she was afraid it would have broken if inverted. Martha is away from home right now, so the rest of us here didn't get to taste this life-changing cake. We can't wait to try it ourselves.
Posted by lilypress at April 20, 2005 12:38 AM
