The Kitchen’s a Mess…
… but the party was a success! Hey, that rhymes! That should be my mantra after every get-together at my house, when I look around the downstairs and wonder if my home will ever be the same neat and tidy place it was just a few hours before.
Tonight, I managed not to stress myself out to the point of being unable to enjoy myself. In fact I was pretty relaxed. There was only one time that my friend Jaime had to rush an emergency glass of wine into my hand.
The hit of the party was definitely dessert. After last week’s experience making my first ever cake, I decided to try my hand at making my second cake ever, using a different recipe. It’s from the September 2003 issue of Bon Appetit and it’s called Easy Chocolate Cake.
I tried to make it look pretty on a platter.
In my opinion, this cake is only “easy” by Bon Appetit standards. Or by expert cake-maker standards. The recipe required that I do a few techniques that I hadn’t tried before. I had my first experience with a springform pan, lined with parchment paper. Also, I don’t believe I’ve ever baked anything in a water bath. I actually made two of these cakes for the party, since we were expecting so many people.
It was a little scary serving a cake that I hadn’t ever tasted before, but I figured that with Scharffen Berger chocolate and such simple ingredients, I couldn’t go wrong.
I was right. I earned nothing but raves and both cakes were fully consumed by my happy party guests.
Special thanks to Heidi and all the ladies who were lifesavers in the kitchen with me today!
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Easy Chocolate Cake
12 Servings
Bon Appetit September 2003
Nonstick vegetable oil spray
6.5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
6 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
1.5 cups sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 T water
3/4 cup (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes, softened
6 large eggs
Unsweetened cocoa powder
Preheat oven to 350. Tightly wrap outside of 10-inch-diameter springform pan with 3 sheets of heavy-duty foil. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper. Spray inside of pan with nonstick spray.
Combine both chocolates in large metal bowl. Set over saucepan of simmering water and stir just until melted. Remove from over water. Bring 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup of water plus 2 T water to boil in saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves and syrup forms. Gradually whisk hot syrup into melted chocolate (mixture may look curdled). Add butter; whisk to blend.
Using electric mixer, beat eggs and 1/2 cup sugar in bowl to blend well, about 2 minutes. Using rubber spatula, gently fold egg mixture into warm chocolate mixture. Transfer batter to prepared pan (batter will come halfway up the sides). Place cake pan in large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come 1 inch up sides of cake pan.
Bake cake until wooden skewer inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 50 minutes. Remove cake pan from water. Remove foil; cool completely on rack.
Cut around cake sides to loosen. Remove pan sides. Transfer cake to platter. Dust with cocoa powder and serve.
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Notes:
- I microwaved the chocolate to melt it. If anyone can tell me why that is horrible, please do! It just seems so much easier to me.
- I used butter instead of the nonstick spray.
- I made the cakes the day before and refrigerated them, letting them sit out for a half hour or so before serving. I think they could have used a full hour to warm up a bit.
If any of you were curious about some of the other dishes I mentioned for the party, don’t worry - recipes will come with time. I’ve only been writing this blog for a week and I already feel overwhelmed by all of the topics I want to write about!
Have a fabulous Monday!
Hi Beth - Looks like you’ve got quite a “touch” with the cakes! I’m glad you survived and even conquered the party!
Comment by Kirk — September 12, 2005 @ 9:41 am
congratulations on making your cakes!! to this day, i’ve yet to bake a cake or pie just because it looks too complicated!! eventually i think i would like to take baking classes at a cooking school in san diego!
Comment by Anne — September 12, 2005 @ 11:36 am
hi beth, that cake looks delicious! and actually, i microwave chocolate as well. nothing bad about it at all, it’s a great convenience and as long as you stir well every now and then it’s more efficient than double boilers, etc. i love rapunzel and scharffen berger too!
Comment by stef — September 12, 2005 @ 7:39 pm
You’ve only been writing this for a week?! I’ve only been reading food blogs for about a month, but yours is one of the best. I just found it the other day — must have jumped here from farmgirl or bakingsheet or chocolate & zucchini. You’re all bookmarked and on my daily reading list now.
The cake looks good, but I need to make that risotto.
Comment by Monica — September 12, 2005 @ 8:01 pm
The cake looks absolutely, drop dead gorgeous! Nice blog, I’m looking forward to checking out some of the archives. Keep up the great work!
Oh, and sister? I microwave the chocolate, too.
Comment by s'kat — September 13, 2005 @ 12:18 pm
I microwaved the chocolate for my flourless chocolate torte last week. Nothing wrong with that. And by the way, cakes just grow easier and easier to make. Pies too. Everything does, in the end.
And isn’t it wonderful fun to have friends over for food?
Comment by shauna — September 13, 2005 @ 3:07 pm
Thanks so much for sharing the recipe…the cake looks perfect! I’m off to read all your archives now…
Comment by Crystal — September 13, 2005 @ 3:50 pm
Hi Beth!
The cake looks fantastic!
The reason people say it is bad to microwave chocoalte is that it doesnt lose it’s shape so it is easy to burn it, and I think it is easy to get water (if you cover the choclate?)in there and cause the chocolate to sieze.
Hope this helps!
Comment by clare eats — September 15, 2005 @ 12:25 am
Looks like you did well for just starting out with cakes. Isn’t it fun to master new techniques? Next time you try a new recipe, make one cupcake to eat–you’ll never notice the difference in amount of cake and that way you can rest easy that it tastes good.
Comment by kitchenmage — September 20, 2005 @ 4:12 pm
[…] Bon Appetit’s Easy Chocolate Cake […]
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