Chocolate Idiot Cake

I recently bought David Lebovitz's Ready for Dessert and have been itching to make something from it for a while. He explains that he needed to create cake to an idiot proof cake but used a nicer name and decided to called it Chocolate Orbit Cake. I much prefer the former than the latter since I was feeling rather stupid today due to a head cold.

Chocolate Idiot Cake (Adapted from David Lebovitz)

12 oz chocolate (bittersweet or semisweet) chopped
1 c butter (2 sticks)
6 eggs
1 c sugar
1t vanilla

Grease a 9" springform pan and cover the outside with foil. Set aside. Heat chocolate and butter in 10-second bursts in the microwave or over a double boiler. Set aside. Whisk eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a separate bowl. Whisk in chocolate. Pour into springform pan. Cover with foil. Place in a roasting pan. Pour warm water into roasting pan until it reaches half-way up the springform pan. Bake at 350 1hr 15 min or until just set. (When you touch the center, your finger should come away almost clean). Remove from roasting pan, and let cake cool on a rack. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Store in refrigerator and remove 1/2 to 1 hour before serving.

It might not be exactly idiot proof because I had a little problem with the water. Make sure your pan is thoroughly wrapped in foil. Next time I would double wrap it. Secondly, make sure when you check the cake for doneness, if it's not done, that you seal the foil back on securely. I did not and I had a slight pool of water that dripped down on the surface of the cake (a quick mop up with a paper towel when it came out of the oven did the trick). Other than that it is pretty idiot proof.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this cake. It is not your typical flourless cake. It is very dense, very chocolatey, and very creamy. I was not expecting the creaminess. I removed it from the refrigerator and served. It was a bit tough slicing (read messy). I think perhaps a quick dip of the knife in warm water might have helped.

Comments

Waffled Hash Browns

I'm not that much of a fan of one-trick ponies taking up real estate in my kitchen. I know that a waffle iron can be classified as that, but now I can rationalize that it's not. Who knew you could make hash browns in it? Waffled Hash Browns (Adapted from Cooking Light ) 1 1/2 lb russet potato (shredded) salt/pepper to taste 1/4 t garlic powder 1 1/2T butter, melted Preheat waffle iron. Squeeze liquid out of potatoes by blotting between two paper towels. Toss potatoes, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Brush both sides of the waffle iron with butter. Spread potatoes evenly on waffle iron. Close and cook 2 minutes. Press iron closed completely and cook about 12 minutes or until golden brown. I did not feel that they browned as nicely as in the picture on the original recipe, but then again I don't have a food stylist do I? The drawback of this recipe is that you have to share this. Since they take about 15 minutes, it's a little difficult to make a second one...

Citrus Shortcake

In my mind, this cake is sort of a blank slate. The cornmeal gives it a little crunch but it is quite versatile. I drizzled a citrus icing on it this time around. I think there are many other things that you could do. You could macerate some berries in sugar and top the cake with them. I think some heated jam (orange, strawberry, or raspberry) drizzled over would be nice. I scoop of ice cream never hurt anyone. A dollop of whip cream never did either. I think you get the idea. Citrus Shortcake (Adapted from Cooking Light circa 2010) 3/4 c sugar 1/4 cup butter 2 eggs 1 T orange rind, grated 2T fresh OJ 1/2 t vanilla 1 c flour 2T cornmeal 3/4 t baking powder 1/2 t baking soda 1/4 t salt 2/3 c buttermilk Grease a 9" square pan set aside. Cream butter and sugar for 5 minutes in a mixer. Meanwhile, combine dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl). Set aside. Add eggs one a time to butter mixture; beating well after ...

The Grappa Report

Star Anise, Cinnamon, Blueberry Once upon a time, we made Limoncello . We used straight-grain alcohol (which we had to buy in a different state because it was not sold it ours!). It was firewater. We tried to pawn it off on unsuspecting friends and relatives. It did not work. So when friends of ours said they wanted to share some Grappa that they had received from a friend, I was slightly suspicious. It was a little firewater-ish but not as much as the Limoncello. We decided to try to infuse it with some flavors - star anise, cinnamon, and blueberry. We got mixed results: Star Anise - was the most successful. It mellowed its sharpness. Cinnamon - We left the cinnamon in for about a week. I think it was too long. It left a very woody taste. Perhaps, less infusion time would have given a better result. Blueberry - We thought if we mashed the blueberries, they would make the Grappa murky. So we first put them in whole. Nothing happened. We then cut them in half. The...

Chocolate-It's What's for Dinner

Search This Blog