Land of a Thousand Cakes

In our house, we are big proponents of scientific method: hypothesize, formulate a plan, test and re-test the theories, and evaluate the outcomes. A good experiment should be able to be replicated for later study. A great experiment yields consistent results. One of my co-workers just had a birthday, and when I asked what sort of cake she wanted, she said, "Chocolate!". (Stay with me here, folks--this comes full circle.) When I realized that I didn't have a go-to chocolate cake recipe, there was only one thing to do: start some full-on kitchen experimentation. We have been in test kitchen mode for several weeks now, churning out various chocolate-laced confections. Testing for texture, flavor, crumb consistency, presentation, and the all-important ease of the recipe. I know. Hard-core science. A tough task, but someone had to do it! (And several other someones cordially helped us out by taking the taste-testing very seriously, then dispatching the remaining baked goods to willing palates. Waste not, want not, good people.)

We found some real gems along the way, but two beauties in particular stood out. My criteria required a performer that was dark chocolate flavored, not too sweet, densely & smoothly textured, and nowhere near dry. This recipe may read a little long, but it is easy as proverbial pie to mix up. Presenting for your consideration:

Fastest Fudge Cake

From Best of Fine Cooking, Chocolate Edition, Winter 2006

Fudge cake, Jan 2009 ~ by Bart

4 1/2 oz. (1 cup) all-purpose flour

1 oz. (1/4 cup plus 2 Tbs.) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. table salt

1/4 lb. (1/2 cup, or 1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs, lightly whisked

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup hot water

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 350. Grease the bottom of an 8 x 2 or 9 x 2-inch round cake pan or line it with parchment. (Lining with parchment paper will make life so much easier when you unmold your cakes. I say do it! Just trace the outline of your pan on parchment paper--found near foil and plastic wrap in the store--cut it out, and place in the bottom of your pan. Spray well with baking spray.)

In a small bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Sift only if the cocoa remains lumpy after whisking. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter and brown sugar with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. (The butter shouldn't be too hot, or your egg whites will solidify when you follow the next step.) Add the eggs and vanilla; stir until well blended.

Add the flour mixture all at once and stir just until the flour is moistened. Pour the hot water over the batter; stir just until it's incorporated and the batter is smooth. (I did all mixing by hand with a whisk and a wooden spoon. While a hand or stand mixer can be used, take care to avoid beating too much air into the batter. If overbeaten, the cake will rise too quickly and sink on itself while baking.)

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes for a 9-inch pan; 35-40 minutes for an 8-inch pan. (I routinely set the timer for 5 minutes less than called for and then check for doneness. It's much easier to add time if needed than to un-bake that extra few minutes, and results are usually a bit more moist if baked on the low end of the timing scale.) Let cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge and invert the cake. Peel off parchment paper if necessary. Invert again onto the rack and let cool completely.

Once cool, set the rack over a baking pan or sheet of foil. Pour warm ganache (recipe follows) over the cake and use an icing spatula to spread it over the top of the cake and down the sides. Let set for about an hour before serving. (We like a little extra goo, and we're not patient when it comes to dessert. Seemed a waste to let all that perfectly good ganache run off, so we just drizzled the cake on its serving plate and ate up.)

Ganache

Yields 1 1/2 cups

1/2 lb. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup heavy cream; more as needed

Granulated sugar (optional)

Put chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk gently until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. (If using 70% bittersweet chocolate, the ganache might be a bit thick; add more cream, a tablespoon at a time, to thin it. You may also want to add several teaspoons of sugar as desired when adding the hot cream.)

So. Let's discuss amongst ourselves. The evaluation step of the scientific process yields this conclusion: If you are not a dark chocolate fan, you may want to lay off the ganache. Or sweeten it up with some granulated sugar. Or pick a different topping, like buttercream or cream cheese frosting. Or ice cream. Or your sweet, sweet love muffin. However you roll, it's all good. (Myself, I would shoot dark chocolate through my very veins if I could do it, and this cake is a perfect venue to ingest some deep, dark goodness.)

For my birthday girl friend, I did a variation on the above recipe. I wanted a layer cake, and I wanted it tall. You know, the fancy, glass-case-worthy sort of cake. I prepped three 8-inch round cake pans and doubled the batter recipe, dividing it evenly between the three pans. Baking temps were the same, and I gave the cakes 20 minutes in the oven. After a thorough cooling, I stacked them, frosting between the layers and over the whole cake with pink-tinted cream cheese frosting. I think Martha would be proud. Have you ever engaged in kitchen experiments, serial or otherwise? What did you make?

Tomorrow: The Cake That Will Make You Want To Cry With Happiness, as seen below. Buckle your seatbelts, chickadees.

Bourbon Chocolate Cake, January 2009 ~ by Katie