"CHOCOLATE INTENSITY" CAKE

On the occasion of the last "Dinner Party" with all the crazy Geneva foodies (a post is soon to come), I made a killer cake named "Chocolate Intensity"...

I first saw this recipe on Peabody's great blog "Culinary Concoctions" (USA) and thought to myself "wow, that's incredibly awesome!".I was really impressed by this cake which looked ever so "dirty" and viciously deadly. I HAD to make this flour less cake!

This wonderful cake is like no other flour less cake I made until now. It is gorgeous and memorable! Although, this cake is baked, it is more like an unbaked dessert.

Tish Boyle's "Chocolate Intensity" is truffle-like, fudgy, creamy, velvety and extremely rich, but at the same time, it is very delicate. It has an intense chocolate taste that sends you straight to the heavens above (or is it to hell?) and a texture that is incomparably smooth and dense. This "Chocolate Intensity" is dreamlike and addictive. It is a real poem written with chocolate, a sweet treat that sends shivers down your spine every time you take a bite from it. In fact, I think that it should be renamed "Chocolate Orgasmatron" or "Death By Chocolate", because nothing is more sweet, electrifying, lethal and pleasurable than this gorgeous cake!!!!!....

This "Chocolate Intensity" is a real calorific bomb that makes you go "ooommmppphhh", so much it fills your mouth with it's thick chocolate goodness and lies heavy on the stomach! Believe me, this cake is better eaten alone and not after a meal, otherwise you will end up suffering (I experienced that painful feeling...). It is such a unique dessert that it needs to get all your attention. Therefore, in order to appreciate it's magic, give it a place of choice. It has to be your one and only love...

Source: "Chocolate Intensity" recipe taken from "The Cake Book" by Tish Boyle.

Makes one 22cm (9-inch) cake.

Ingredients:
250g Bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
375g Unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 Cup Castor sugar

1/2 Cup Freshly brewed coffee
6 Large eggs (~50g)
1 Tsp Vanilla extract
1/8 Tsp Salt

For the bittersweet ganache:
190g Bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 Cup Heavy whipping cream
1 Tsp Vanilla extract

Method:
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 180° C (350º F).
2. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan. Line the bottom with a parchment round and butter the parchment.
3. Place chopped chocolate in a large bowl.
4. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, stir butter, sugar and coffee until the butter is melted and mixture is boiling.
5. Pour the hot mixture over your chopped chocolate.
6. Let stand for 1 minute then gently stir until chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
7. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs vigorously until blended.
8. Whisk in the vanilla and salt.
9. Slowly add about 3/4 cup hot chocolate mixture to the eggs, whisking constantly in order to temper the eggs.
10. Add the egg mixture to the hot chocolate mixture and whisk to combine well.
11. Strain the batter through a sieve (to catch any cooked egg bits) and then pour batter into prepared pan.
12. Set cake pan in a large roasting pan and fill the pan with enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the cake pan.
13. Bake for 35-45 minutes, until the center is shiny and set but still a bit jiggly.
14. Transfer cake pan to a cooling rack and cool for 20 minutes.
15. Run a thin knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake.
16. Place a cardboard round covered with foil on top of the pan and invert the cake onto it. 17. Remove pan and carefully remove the parchment paper.
18. Refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours before glazing with chocolate glaze.

Bittersweet Ganache
19. Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl.
20. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil.
21. Remove pan from heat and add the chopped chocolate.
22. Let stand for 1 minute then gently stir until chocolate is melted and the glaze is smooth. 23. Gently stir in the vanilla.
22. Transfer glaze to a small bowl and cover the surface of the glaze with plastic wrap and let cool for 5 minutes at room temperature before using.

To glaze the cake:
23. Place the chilled cake, still on the cake round, on a wire rack set over a baking sheet.
24. Slowly pour the hot glaze onto the center of the cake.
25. Smooth the glaze over the top and sides, letting the excess drip onto the baking sheet. 26. Scrape the extra glaze from the baking sheet and put it in a small ziploc bag.
27. Seal the bag and cut a tiny hole in one of the bottom corners.
28. Gently squeeze the bag over the top of the cake to drizzle the glaze in a decorative pattern.
29. Refrigerate the cake at least one to two hours before serving.

Remarks:
Use a chocolate that has no less than 62% cocoa.
If you're using a pan with a removable bottom like a springform, make sure to wrap the pan with 2 or 3 layers of foil, otherwise the filling will leak through the seam along the base.
Tempering the eggs (point 9) with a little bit of the hot chocolate mixture will prevent "scrambled eggs" when combining the two mixtures.
It is not an obligation to strain the batter through a sieve. You can omit that part, if you wish.
This cake is better eaten cold. I recommend you to leave it at least half a day in the refrigerator before serving

Serving suggestions:
Eat alone or accompanied by a "Crème Anglaise" flavored with a bit of 5 spice powder...