DROP DEAD CHOCOLATE CAKE - GÂTEAU AU CHOCOLAT DÉCADENT

It is proof of a base and low mind for one to wish to think with the masses or majority, merely because the majority is the majority. Truth does not change because it is, or is not, believed by a majority of the people.
- Giordano Bruno

Every year, around the beginning of January, I witness the same circus. Food-related magazines, sites and blogs worldwide publish a list of all the forthcoming trends and give their predictions for the upcoming 11 months. After that, and until the next craze hits us comparably to a strike of lightning, the internet generally gets swamped with hip recipes, reviews of fashionable products and a wave of articles treating of those subjects furiously sweeps the web while a horde of professional as well as hobby journalists are sucked into the the eye of this powerful tornado.

Being somebody who naturally goes against the tide, dislikes blind copyism, loathes lack of individuality and disapproves of prefabricated movements, this annual proclamation of what we have to follow and this subliminal influencing of consumers makes me sick, go up the wall, smirk and chuckle as vogues are so limitating, artificial and superficial.

It always amazes me how a large number of people accept dictatorship of taste and have no problem being told what to do, to fancy, to speak about as well as in which way to act. Humanity really wants to be treated similarly to cattle and led in a pack-like manner as it makes them feel safe and not alone. Swimming with the stream gives them the sentiment of partaining to a group, thus not being an outsider. They are so afraid of alienation, segregation and unconventionality that they prefer to sacrifice their integrity for commonness so as to not get singled out by the leading majority.

These hipster zombies… are the idols of the style pages, the darlings of viral marketers and the marks of predatory real-estate agents.

 - Christian Lorentzen

Sadly, in this world we live, standing out from the crowd is really badly seen and labelled as something that is antisocial. Bollocks! Why should women and men who are true to themselves be unfriendly, not well integrated in society and secluded hermits? Maybe singularity is slightly unnerving for others as it is a mark of rebellion, uniqueness and freedom (as long as it is genuine and not another stylish attitude), but that doesn’t mean that it is a negative quality. As a matter of fact, it is a sign of intelligence and strength. Diacritic souls are honest, authentic, comfortable with their opinions and choices, don’t play games or suffer from dissociation. We have no need to create a fake identity and lie to ourselves in order to be recognized. What you see is what you get and if certain idiots don't like us, then they can get lost!

It is crucial to give no importance to the masses’ judgement or appraisal, and to find your own voice if you don’t want to be fake or manipulable. As you know, totalitarian dictatorships and politicians always achieve their goals by striking the chord of fear of rejection within the general public’s heart and missuse our human need to feel aknowledged as well as create strong ties with one another and blend into the flock (check out the movie "The Wave" as it describes this behavior pattern very well). This shows how dangerous it can be to comport oneself in a sheepish manner and deny your inner self to fit the mold. 

Never forget that only dead fish swim with the stream.

- Malcolm Muggeridge

Art is the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known.

 - Oscar Wilde

Diversity is beautiful and a great source of inspiration, while standardization is clinical and represents the death of the mind and of imagination. Take a look at some of the greatest artists and thinkers (poets, painters, writers, musicians, philosophers, etc…), had they not defied conventions, been non-conformists and had dissident visions, their creations/work would never have seen the light of day as they would never have had that special sparkle of life within themselves that made them such a genius.

To hell with fashions! They are only a means of control and the industry has also properly understood that since very long. For decades, it has shaped the minds of folks and been employing those psychological tricks to transform you into the perfect consumer, a robotic subordinate who never questions orders nor goes out of line.

Nowadays, food is extremely popular among a large fringe of the population and amazing amounts of cash are generated by it. This niche sees numbers of ephemeral trends come and go at the speed of light. Unfortunately, they are not all invented by persons with good intentions, but rather by avid entrepreneurs who milk the cow with them, don’t give a shit about locally grown veggies/fruits, budget or healthy eating, eco-friendly farming, the survival of gastronomy, the respect of the terroir, etc... Their interest is somewhere else and profit is their religion. Hence, if you want the culinary arts not evolve into a big commercial joke or to get hijacked by money hungry bastards, you’d better start cooking and baking without being influenced by corporations and not fall into their trap. Love food unconditionally, but not because of the fame it brings or the reputation it has and remember that hipsters come and go fast...

So, when I read somewhere macarons, whoopie pies and cupcakes were out, and that the next dessert obsession in 2012 will be layer cakes, I just had to laugh my guts out. Wow, what breathtaking piece of info! I mean, come on guys, don't you find that it sounds kind of déjà-vu? It is crazy how old stuff makes a regular comeback. That's what I call recycling and not novelty.

I didn't have to wait for this baked good (the same can be said about pickles, kimchi, scones, meatballls, etc...) to be approved by the public opinion to start showing some interest in it. Actually, I have been eating and baking that awesome tea time treat since a very tender age, so it is not dernier cri to me. 

All greatness of character is dependent on individuality. The man who has no other existence than that which he partakes in common with all around him, will never have any other than an existence of mediocrity.

- James F. Cooper

My tastes don't vary according to fads. They are constant and timeless. If I enjoy a dish or a goodie, there is a big chance that I'll do so all my life. Sensationalism doesn't have any effect on me and I don't behave like a chameleon...

For example, I have a longstanding love affair with chocolate cake. It is one of the wonders of this world which I find terribly irresistible. Of course, not all chocolate cakes are equal. Some of them are just good, without being earth-shatteringly delectable and others are simply to-die-for. Well, today, the one I am presenting undoubtedly belongs to the second category. It is unquestionably one of the best chocolate cakes I have ever savored.

I found the recipe for this "Drop Dead Chocolate Cake" on Jamie's wonderful blog "My Baking Addiction" in October 2011. As soon as I laid my eyes on that dark beauty covered and filled with fudgy buttercream, I knew I had to prepare it as soon as possible. Promise made, promise kept. To celebrate the new year, I cococted this intensely cocoa-y, delightfully moist, devilishly rich, divinely morish and extraordinarily decadent confection. Needless to say that we enragedly devoured it like a couple of hungry wolves and that it disappeared incredibly swiftly. A chocolate lover's dream come true! Epic.

~ Drop Dead Chocolate Cake ~

Cake recipe adapted from "My Baking Addiction" and chocolate buttercream frosting adapted from "Savory Sweet Life".

Yields 8 servings.

Ingredients For The "Chocolate Sponge":
2 Cups (410g) Castor sugar
1 3/4 Cups (223g) All-purpose flour
3/4 Cup +2 Tbs (80g) Unsweetened cocoa powder (Cailler)
2 Tsp Baking soda
1 Tsp Baking powder
1 Tsp Fine sea salt
2 Eggs (~63g)
1 Cup (240ml) Buttermilk
1 Cup (240ml) Strong black coffee
1/2 Cup (105ml) Vegetable oil (neutral tasting)
2 Tsp Pure vanilla extract

Ingredients For The " Chocolate Buttercream Frosting":

1 Cup +1 Tbs (250g) Unsalted Butter, softened (not melted)
3 1/2 Cups (420g) Powdered sugar (sifted)
3/4 Cup (68g) Cocoa powder (Cailler, sifted)

2 Tsp Strong black coffee
2 Tsp Pure vanilla extract

1/2 Tsp Fine sea salt 

4 Tbs Milk

Method For The "Chocolate Sponge":
1. Heat the oven to 350° F (180° C). Butter and flour one 9-inch (23cm) round springform pan. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, put the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mixing on low speed until the dry ingredients are thoroughly combined.

3. Add the eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla, then beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes (the batter will be thin, that's totally normal).

4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

5. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the pan and place on the wire rack. Cool completely. 

Method For The " Chocolate Buttercream Frosting":

5. Meanwhile, with a stand mixer (paddle attachment), cream the butter for a few minutes.

6. Turn off the mixer and add the powdered sugar and cocoa. On the lowest speed, mix the until the dry ingredients have been absorbed by the butter.

7. Increase the mixer speed to medium and add coffee, vanilla extract, salt and milk.

8. Beat for 3 minutes.

Method For "Assembling The Cake":

9. Cut the cake into two equal layers.

10. Place the bottom layer on a cake plate and frost with 1/3 of the buttercream.

11. Cover with the top layer and with the remaining buttercream, frost the cake as desired. 

Comments:

If your frosting needs a more stiff consistency, add a little more sugar or if it needs to be thinned out, add more milk, 1 tbs at a time.

This cake can also be covered with chocolate ganache.

Serving suggestions:

Serve this cake at any hour of the day or night (it is so decadent that you'll not be able to control yourself and will mercilessly pounce on it LOL) and accompany it with cold milk, strong coffee or sparkling wine (champagne, Clairette de Die, Prosecco, etc...).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~ Gâteau Au Chocolat De La Mort Qui Tue ~

Gâteau adapté de "My Baking Addiction" et glaçage au chocolate adapté de "Savory Sweet Life".

Pour 8 personnes.

Ingrédients Pour Le "Gâteau Au Chocolat": 

410g de Sucre cristallisé 
223g de Farine 
80g de Cacao en poudre (non-sucré, Cailler)
2 CC de Bicarbonate de soude
1 CC de Poudre à lever
1 CC de Sel de mer fin
2 Oeufs (~ 63g)
240ml de Babeurre (lait ribot) 
240ml de Café fort 
105ml d'Huile végétale (goût neutre)
2 CC d'Extrait de vanille pure
Ingrédients Pour Le "Glaçage Au Chocolat": 

250g de Beurre non-salé ramolli (pas fondu) 
420g de Sucre en poudre/glace (tamisé) 
68g de Cacao en poudre (non-sucré/ Cailler/tamisé)
2 CC de Café fort
2 CC d'Extrait de vanille pure
1/2 CC de Sel de mer fin
4 CS de Lait

Méthode Pour Le "Gâteau Au Chocolat":
1. Préchauffer le four à 180 ° C. Beurrer et fariner un moule rond (à charnière) de 23cm. Le mettre de côté.
2. Mettre le sucre, la farine, le cacao, le bicarbonate de soude, la poudre à lever et le sel dans le bol d'un batteur électrique (équipé de l'accessoire batteur plat) et mélanger à basse vitesse jusqu'à ce que les ingrédients secs soient bien mélangés.
3. Ajouter les oeufs, le babeurre, le café, l'huile et la vanille, puis battre à vitesse moyenne pendant environ 2 minutes (la pâte sera liquide, mais c'est tout à fait normal).
4. Verser la pâte dans le moule.
5. Cuire pendant 35 à 40 minutes ou jusqu'à ce que la lame d'un couteau insérée au centre en ressorte propre. Laisser refroidir pendant 10 minutes, puis retirer du moule et placer le gâteau sur une grille. Faire refroidir complètement.

Méthode Pour Le "Glaçage Au Chocolat":
5. Pendant ce temps, battre le beurre en pommade à l'aide d'un batteur.
6. Éteindre le batteur et ajouter le sucre en poudre et le cacao. A petite vitesse, mélanger les ingrédients secs jusqu'à ce qu'ils aient été incorporés au beurre.
7. Augmenter la vitesse du mélangeur à moyen et ajouter le café, l'extrait de vanille, le sel et le lait.
8. Battre pendant 3 minutes.
Méthode Pour "L'assemblage Du Gâteau»:
9. Couper le gâteau en deux couches égales.
10. Placez la couche inférieure sur une assiette à gâteau et couvrir avec 1/3 du glaçage.
11. Recouvrir avec la couche supérieure et avec le reste du glaçage, glacer le gâteau comme vous le souhaitez.

 
Remarques:
Si votre glaçage est trop liquide, alors ajouter un peu de sucre en poudre. Si il est trop épais, ajouter un peu de lait (1 CS à la fois).

Ce gâteau peut aussi être recouvert de ganache au chocolat.

Idées de présentation:

Servir ce gâteau à n'importe quelle heure de la journée ou de la nuits (il est tellement bon qu'il vous sera impossible de vous contrôler LOL), accompagné d'un verre de lait, d'une tasse de café fort ou de vin mousseux (Champagne, Clairette de Die, Prosecco, etc...).