EMERGENCY CHOCOLATE CAKE

EMERGENCY CHOCOLATE CAKE

Nothing scares most of us as much as baking – and rightly so.  Cooking is all about doing things with your own sense of style.  Baking is scientific – biochemistry taken to the nth degree.  My sister’s birthday was coming up and I hate store bought cakes – they’re always greasy (they use heavy greasy vegetable oils) and a terrible combination of bland cake with  oversugared frosting: TERRIBLE.  My sister was having a birthday and all birthdays after 35 require emergency doses of chocolate.

I searched through recipes in my books and on-line for a couple of days.  I finally settled on one online culled from Gourmet Magazine 1996 called “Stout Chocolate Cake.” 

As to the cake: I followed the recipe to the letter.  Though I’ve been cooking since my teens (a long time) – baking a cake is ALWAYS an ambitious undertaking… and it even scares me.  I’ll include the recipe for the cake at the bottom of this entry and remember, it’s not mine, though I made it my own by adding a few choice ingredients.

Above: the cakes are cooling in their 9x2 pans for 10 minutes before I flip them over.

Here’s my personal philosophy on chocolate:

1.      More is better.

2.     Semi-sweet is better than too sweet.

3.     Good chocolate requires depth of flavor (hidden touches of sea salt, ground cinnamon or allspice, espresso, vanilla, dark rum and cayenne and/or black pepper) so don’t be afraid to add little touches of these (in whatever combination you feel) to bring out the most from your chocolate.

4.     Go for the good stuff – it’s worth it in the end, and also easier to melt than the cheap stuff.

Above: the cakes have been taken out of the pans – I’m allowing them to cool completely before beginning the assembly process which will include slicing in half them with a long serrated knife….!

Once the cakes were made, then I’m no longer baking, I’m cooking – so I was back in my element.  It was time to make the frosting and the glaze (ganache).  These are fundamentally sauces – I’m the sauce KING, so no worries.

I selected a sour cream based frosting which I’ve used before - because it always works.  You will need 2 cups sour cream, 1 cup heavy whipping cream, 4 oz semi sweet chocolate, ½ cup fine cocoa powder, ¾ cup confectioner’s sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, ½ teaspoon sea salt, 1 teaspoon dark rum, 1 teaspoon really strong espresso, ¼ teaspoon allspice.

First blend the sugar with the heavy cream – don’t struggle – use your hand blender for this – get it to soft peaks.  Add in the sour cream, continue whipping till you get stiff peaks.  Don't have one?  Make the $12 investment - it's worth it.  In the meantime - you can obviously use a whisk, though it will be a workout.

Above: double whipped cream with little specs of ground allspice.

Combine all the other elements (except the cocoa powder) over double boiler (this is a simple pot of simmering water, a clean metal bowl – and a silicone spatula.  Make sure the chocolate is fully soft and smooth.  Take it off the heat and add in a large dollop of the double cream to cool it and thin it down.  Now transfer all the chocolate into the double cream.  After you’ve blended it thoroughly with the spatula (try not to deflate), add in the cocoa powder.

Above: The cocoa is about to be blended into the double sour cream chocolate mixture.  The result is a double chocolate frosting/filling: MMmmm.

Put on your surgeon’s hat and cut the cakes in half.  Do it slowly, try not to lose too much crumb and the straighter it is, the easier it will be to assemble.  [Remember, everything will be frosted so don’t sweat this unnecessarily and it can get a bit messy but to date, nobody’s died from a chocolate splatter on the floor]

Note:  Those crumbs were very tasty so I now know the cake is good.

I lined my fancy cake stand with wax paper strips and set the first half cake on top of the wax paper.  Frost the surface thoroughly and add on the next layer.  Frost the surface thoroughly and slice the next cake in half.

Above: frosting will help repair any little breaks that might happen as we try to remove the cake from the pans.  Who am I kidding, a little kitchen mouse (me) couldn’t help but have another taste!  The assembly is nearly complete.  Repeat the process and once you’ve got all four layers on the stand, cover with a light layer of this sour cream frosting.

Above: the cake has been thoroughly frosted – the rich sour cream frosting will be absorbed into the cake and it also hides any flaws.  Stick the cake in the fridge for a bit – this cooling down process is absolutely necessary here in Miami where the humidity works against you.

Now we can begin the final glaze.  You will need 4 oz of semi-sweet chocolate, 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter (please don’t use anything else – it just won’t work), 1 tablespoon of dark rum, a dash of allspice and a ½ teaspoon of vanilla.  All this goes into your metal bowl over slowly simmering water.  Mix thoroughly with a spatula till it is glossy and smooth.

Above:  keep mixing till everything comes together.  Here - it's already quite glossy from the butter and the rum.

Take it off the heat and before it begins to become a solid, glaze the top of your cake.  Then, back into the fridge it goes.

Above:  the warm ganache may drip down over the edges – that’s okay. 

Now, for the final step: I like to make something I call "chocolate sand" for the sides.  I take ¼ cup of roasted sunflower seeds, ¼ cup of semi-sweet chocolate morsels and ¼ cup of good cocoa powder – I pulse these in a grinder and spoon as much of it as possible onto the sides of the cake.  Once I’ve done this – I take the wax paper off and allow to cool overnight.

In the morning – I drove it to my sister’s where an emergency dose of chocolate was needed and we had it for breakfast.

Above: see how the cake absorbed all that rich frosting?  It was truly anything but bland.  The cake was firm but moist, the frosting had character, the glaze on top was a rich reward, and the chocolate sand had that beautiful touch of nut and subtle savory salt that made it all VERY adult.

Nevertheless, it did meet with kid approval, as the photos below show:

Above: my niece, a lovely but already surly teenager, preferred it to oatmeal.

Above: a slice of this sinfully good cake with fresh mulberries from my tree.....!

Above: my nephew enjoyed it with his vitamins… even though he couldn’t understand why it tasted “French” (his code for adult).  He also asked:  "Why didn't you just open a box?"

Let me know how this trip from my kitchen, travels to your table.

STOUT CHOCOLATE CAKE*:

• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 ½ sticks (¾ cup) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• ½  cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 1 ¾  cups sour cream
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ½ teaspoon allspice
• 3 turns fresh ground black pepper (don’t bother with pre ground)
• 1 dash cayenne pepper

Preaheat oven to 375°F. Butter and flour two 9- by 2-inch round cake pans, knocking out excess flour.

In a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water melt chocolate, stirring until smooth, and cool.

In a large bowl with an electric mixer beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in sour cream and vanilla until combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well with after each addition.

In a bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt and gradually add to sour cream mixture, beating until just combined. Beat in chocolate until batter is just combined and divide between pans.

Bake layers in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool layers in pans on rack 10 minutes and invert onto racks to cook completely.

* Gourmet magazine – 1996

TUSCAN STRAWBERRY SALAD

In the kitchen, as in life, “elegance” is about allowing the elements to shine through.  This simple desert salad is a perfect springtime treat + my acupuncturist, Dr Li, says that strawberries “moisten” your joints and ligaments (this is the Chinese medicine way of saying: keeps you young).  After my treatment I went straight to the market to buy strawberries - and they were locally grown, organic and amazing.  I have a very unique Balsamic vinegar that I brought back with me from Italy and the Herbs de Provence have been begging for use. [NOTE: Herbs de Provence is a dry herb mixture of oregano, basil and lavender.]

Because strawberries tend to be sandy, soak them in cool water.  I chop off the green heads and half them (or if they’re really big, I’ll quarter them) – this is the hardest part of the dish, so don’t fret.  I usually throw out the cuttings right into my garden where they’ll help make the soil richer.

Next, into the waiting bowl, I’ll toss in ¼ - ½ cup of vanilla sugar (see details below), 1 tablespoon of Herbs de Provence (if you don’t have them, substitute or mix with dry oregano and dry basil), a ¼ teaspoon of freshly grated nutmeg, and finally, a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar.  Because it’s only a flavoring agent on my 2 pints of strawberries, it doesn’t have to be the $16/bottle gourmet kind (in the photo); even the simple store brand kind will add a delightful freshness to this dish. 

Stir this with a wooden spoon and allow to sit for ½ an hour (the cooking term for this is “macerate”) – the strawberries will release their juices, the fruit salad will become fragrant and sweet. 

See how it glistens – the combination of the balsamic vinegar with the sugar brings out the best in the strawberries.  Spoon it into a dish of low-fat vanilla yogurt, or sin a little, and top off some gelato with it.  This is a perfect ending to an everyday baked chicken dinner – and it will also make any meal end on a high note.

This simple Tuscan fruit salad is a journey you can share - from my kitchen to your table.

Vanilla sugar: Vanilla beans are expensive.  I usually use them if I’m making a rice pudding, or a panna cotta.  Their flavor is far superior to any extract on the shelf.  You slice them in half, scrape out the tiny seeds and put them into the scalding milk, then take them out.  At this point, don't throw them out - they’re still perfectly useful and incredibly fragrant.  Allow them to dry and stick them inside your sugar container – viola – each spoonful of sugar will now have a touch of vanilla essence on it.  This trick will make your coffee that much richer (this means it will need even less sugar = less calories), and all your deserts will also have another level of depth.  Enjoy.

GO-TO PIE CRUST AND FOOLPROOF QUICHE

Fool proof crust and quiche!

Making your own crust is easy if you have the right recipe.  This is my go-to pie crust – perfect for a savory tart or a desert.  With a few minor adjustments you’ll feel like a pro.  Promise!  You’ll never buy a stale store-bought crust again.

You’ll need:

1 cup simple (not self-rising) white flour, ½ teaspoon of kosher or sea salt, ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper, pinch of sugar (don’t skimp on this), 1/3 cup of light vegetable oil (I’m using cold pressed safflower oil these days) and 3 tablespoon of ice water.  Also, to make your crust relate to the filling, add ½ teaspoon of whatever herb or condiment will be in the filling such as: oregano, dill, cinnamon, allspice, etc.

Preheat your oven to 325F

First combine all the dry ingredients.  Use your hand (or a fork).  Add the oil and the water and combine till it pulls away from the bowl.  

Don’t over mix or it will get tough.  It’s okay for it to be a bit crumbly.  That’s how you get a flaky crust.  If you want, to make for an easier transfer, roll it out onto wax paper (or aluminum foil, or even plastic wrap) into a ¼” thick disc.  Don’t have a rolling pin?  Use a bottle of wine.  Sounds daunting?  Don’t sweat it – form it into a flat disc in your hand and use your fingers to have it stretch out and fill the pie-form.

NOTE: If you want a very glossy crust, add a whole beaten egg and about ¼ cup more flour.  Everything else, same as above.

It doesn’t have to be perfect – if it doesn’t quite cover your pie form, stretch it out with your fingers.  Use the bits that hang over to make any necessary repairs.  The point is simply to have the pie form bottom covered.  Use a fork and poke some holes in it (this keeps it from bubbling or rising) and the tines can also help create a decorative edge.

It goes into the oven for 15-20 minutes till it starts to become a little bit golden. 

NOTE: I’m making a zucchini quiche to take to a picnic.  This filling will have some thyme, so I also added dry thyme in the crust.  I always like to have a unified theme or “story” in my food.

Now for the filling:

You’ll need 4 eggs, 1 cup of milk (or ½ n ½ if you don’t mind the calories), ½ cup of grated gruyere or Swiss cheese, ½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt, ½ teaspoon of black pepper, teaspoon of ground nutmeg (grate it fresh – it’s so much better, you’ll never go back to pre-ground), ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar (makes it all very fluffy), 1 teaspoon of dry herb (for example: oregano, thyme, lavender, tarragon, or chopped fresh rosemary) and a dash of cayenne pepper or Sicilian red pepper flakes for depth. 



My grater (a micro-plane from the hardware store) with 2 whole nutmegs – the flavor is exquisite!



Above: the filling is ready for the crust

NOTE: Zucchini is a bit wet, so I used a little less milk.  Just over ¾ of a cup.

VARIATIONS ON THEMES:

If it’s quiche Lorraine: ¼ cup chopped cooked bacon

If it’s Zucchini, or Spinach – 1 cup chopped or grated

If it’s black olive – 1 cup chopped

If it’s broccoli – 1 cup cooked, thinly sliced

If it’s carrot – 1 cup finely grated, or 1 cup slightly cooked and sliced.

If it’s tomato – 1 cup peeled, seeded and drained.  Add basil to this one.

Beat the eggs with the milk – use a whisk, add the dry condiments, the cheese and the theme (zucchini, etc.)

Want to make your quiche look outstanding?  Put half of the filling through the blender – this is especially impressive with broccoli, tomato or spinach quiche.

The pie crust is done.  Add the filling and back into the oven (now at 350F) for 45-60 minutes – till it no longer jiggles in the center.

Off to the picnic we go – it flew!  I had to grab myself a slice so I could show you a picture.

Try your own variation – let me know how it turns out.  I always love to hear about these journeys from my kitchen to your table.

These quiche ideas make a great go-to light lunch or weekend brunch.   Add a green salad and you're done!

Another time, we’ll make a couple of fruit tarts with crème patissiere (a thick custard) next time.  Sometimes a great meal needs a great finish.