LE DIABOLO- THE SUPERIOR CHOCOLATE CAKE

This post is long overdue. Its been a month of cookies, cakes, bars and a few failed projects. On the positive note my anniversary cake has been a big hit and was lapped up in two sittings. I had no time to decorate it and the boys had no patience to wait for it to be covered in chocolate clay or ganache (not that it needs any more additions!) I couldn’t hold them and myself off any longer, so we unleashed ourselves on my heart shaped anniversary cake sans the frosting, the roses or the ribbons and enjoyed it just the same.

I must mention here that I have been on a mission to teach myself how to decorate a cake and make it look pretty. This futile exercise in cosmetics has been going on for a few years now and at the end of it all I throw up my hands in frustration, chuck the fondant, chocolate clay into the bin….only to get back and bind myself up, in thick fondant and chocolate clay all over again. This year I resolved to try making chocolate clay and went after the recipe like a woman possessed. I made dark chocolate and white chocolate clay. The end result was a slab of hard rock that wouldn’t budge but would do the job of a murder weapon or a meat mallet quite well!! (LOL)😄

I did manage to get a few roses from the dark chocolate but the white chocolate clay remained stubborn and stiff refusing to give in to my desperate kneading and massages. I must also clarify that it has nothing to do with the recipes, it has to be something to do with my mindset or the reluctant vibe that I give off when planning a beautification project. Until I get the science of clay making right I will keep looking enviously at the lovely pictures on other blogs.

I must apologise for photographing only part of my heart shaped cake. We got so caught up in the taste and dense beauty of this beautiful patisserie that photography wasn’t on my agenda, until my teen jerked his head out of his plate and screamed, spewing cake bits and vanilla ice-cream all over the table “Mom, the blog”. I looked at the half eaten heart with a broken heart and quickly halted the party, whipped out my ipad and clicked the left-overs. Don’t get put off by the pics, I promise you this half eaten heart holds a lot of promise and no one will notice or ever critic you for the lack of fuss and frills. It is immensely chocolatey, with a melting texture and just needs an accompaniment of whipped cream or vanilla ice-cream or just enjoy it as is. Thank God your taste buds have no eyes!! 😆😆

RECIPE

LE DIABOLO- THE SUPERIOR CHOCOLATE CAKE

150 grams bittersweet chocolate, chopped

150 grams unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract

3 eggs separated

115 grams Caster Sugar

50 grams ground almonds

40 grams plain flour, sifted

½ teaspoon salt (scant)

Preheat oven to 190^o C. Grease and line with parchment paper an 8-9 inch springform cake tin. An ordinary tin will do just as well.

Melt the chocolate and butter together over a double boiler, careful not to overheat. Once most of the chocolate has melted get it off the heat and stir the remaining bits and they will melt.

In a medium bowl beat the egg yolks with 70 grams of sugar until pale and thick. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture followed by the almonds, flour and salt.

In a squeaky clean bowl, whip the egg whites until they form soft peaks, add in the remaining sugar and whip until the whites are stiff.

Fold a large spoonful of the egg whites in the chocolate mixture to lighten it and then fold in the remaining whites.

Scrape the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre shows moist crumbs. The cake will rise and a crust will form on the top. Let the cake cool in the tin placed on a wire rack. Press down the cake before removing from the tin.