Nearly Flourless Chocolate Cake

It's been weeks since I made this cake, and I was meaning to put it up as an easy thing to make for Valentine's Day, (yes, that's how long I've been holding onto this gem) but unfortunately, life intervened.   I know, it has basically been forever since I last posted, but I guess it's for a good cause. Most of the time, instead of writing, I've been trying to get a job.  I still haven't gotten a job, but I'm working on it, and since I was so diligent this weekend (more or less) I've finally decided to let myself write this post.

I've made this cake a few times and I really like it because it's simple, it's nearly flourless, and it's super versatile.  And by versatile I mean that you can serve it in many different ways.  For instance, one time I made this I topped it with some lightly sweetened, homemade whipped cream (as the recipe suggests to). Another time, I filled in the dent in the middle with blackberry and raspberry jam.  This time, I made it for a house cook (I made four of them actually) and we topped them with homemade caramel, made by my co-cook, Juan Pablo.  I think I'll need to make it again with JP's recipe, because the caramel was absolutely to die for.  But actually, because there is quite a lot of butter in this and the caramel.  Oh well, still delicious and totally worth it if you ever need to quickly whip up a cake.

Nearly Flourless Chocolate Cake (recipe lightly adapted from Orangette)

Ingredients:
7 ounces (200 grams) best-quality dark chocolate
7 ounces (200 grams) unsalted butter (this recipe calls for European style butter so you could try it with that, but we didn't have any and it turned out just fine)
1 1/3 cup (250 grams) granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1 Tbs unbleached all-purpose flour

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 375ºF, and butter an 8-inch round cake pan. Line the base of the pan with parchment, and butter the parchment too.
2) Finely chop the chocolate (a serrated bread knife does an outstanding job of this) or use high-quality chocolate chips, and melt it gently with the butter in a double boiler, stirring regularly to combine.
3) Add the sugar to the chocolate-butter mixture, stirring well, and set aside to cool for a few moments.
4) Then add the eggs one by one, stirring well after each addition, and then add the flour. The batter should be smooth and dark.
5) Pour batter into the buttered cake pan and bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until the center of the cake looks set and the top is shiny and a bit crackly-looking. (You’ll know it’s done when it jiggles only slightly, if at all.)
6) Let the cake cool in its pan on a rack for 10 minutes; then carefully turn the cake out of the pan and revert it, so that the crackly side is facing upward. Allow to cool completely. The cake will deflate slightly as it cools. (I used this little deflated part in the middle for raspberry or blackberry jam)
7) Serve in wedges at room temperature with a dollop lightly sweetened whipped cream, jam, caramel or any other fun topping.

Note: The recipe says that this cake is better the day after it's made so try making it the night before serving it.  That is, if you can stand to wait that long....

Chocolate Chambord Cupcakes

All this week I have been dying to bake.  A fact that I blame on my friend Dan and his cruel decision to send me this link on Tuesday night.  After all, how was I supposed to work after going through an endless page of cupcakes with names such as Coconut Rum Cupcakes with Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting or Port Wine and Cherry Chocolate Cupcakes with Mascarpone Frosting?  Swoon.  And please just tell me how I was supposed to continue working with the knowledge that we have chambord and Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Chambord Frosting were just waiting to be made.  

It was tough.  I needed a lot of self control to make it through the week without making these cupcakes. But Friday, I broke, and fortunately my friends, Dan and Micah, were willing to help me make these cupcakes which received so many compliments throughout my house.  The frosting was the best part though (In part, I think, because of how beautiful it looked as a result of my new frosting piping bags! Thank you Mamá).  I think I may swap out the cake next time since it was just so-so in my opinion, but my edits to the frosting definitely resulted in one of the most delicious frostings I've ever had.  The key was just extra cocoa powder instead of using the pound of confectioner's sugar it called for.  So, even if you don't make the cupcakes, make some kind of cake or something to spread this frosting on because it is so good.

Chocolate Chambord Cupcakes (lightly adapted from Ming Makes Cupcakes)

Cupcake Ingredients:
1 cup flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa
½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
¾ cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp berry jam
1 Tbsp Chambord liqueur

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350ºF
2) Mix flour, unsweetened cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl
3) In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar on medium-high speed until fluffy
4) Reduce speed to low and add vanilla and egg
5) Add milk and dry ingredients alternately while still mixing
6) Mix in jam and liqueur
7) Pour batter into lined cupcake pans, fill about ¾ full
8) Bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick comes out almost clean

Frosting Ingredients:
½ cup butter (1 stick)
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 tsp vanilla
¼ cup milk
1/8 cup Chambord liqueur

Directions:
1) In a saucepan or in the microwave soften the butter until almost melted
2) Using a hand mixer, mix in cocoa and confectioner's sugar
3) Add milk and vanilla and continue mixing on low speed
4) Add in Chambord and mix until frosting is smooth
5) Frost cupcakes and top with a dollop of jam (or fill cupcakes with jam before frosting).