I am always on the lookout for the next best chocolate cake recipe. I stumbled upon this one from the Barefoot Contessa Foolproof by Ina Garten, while looking for ways to use the 6 bottles of crème de cassis I seem to have acquired over the holiday season.
This is essentially a glazed, chocolate fondant – a very rich one. When added to the cake batter, the cassis disappears into the other ingredients, deepening the flavor of the chocolate. However, the taste of the liquor really comes through in the glaze. I love the full cassis hit but the teenagers in my life found it to be too strong, so add more or less depending on whom you are serving.
Ingredients
- Serves 10-12
- For the cake:
- 1 ½ sticks (168 g) unsalted butter
- 10 ounces (280 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped (I use Nestlés Corsé in France)
- ½ cup (50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 6 tablespooons crème de cassis liquor (my favorite is Gabriiel Boudier from Dijon)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 5 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- For the glaze:
- 6 ounces (170 g) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- ¼ cup (60 mls) heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 to 3 teaspoon crème de cassis liqueur
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- To serve:
- Fresh strawberries or raspberries (tossed with a bit of sugar and crème de cassis 15 minutes before serving, if desired)
Instructions
- 9-inch round spring form pan, greased and the bottom lined with parchment paper
- For the cake, preheat the oven to 350° F (180° C)
- Put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water to melt. Stir occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and add the coco powder, cassis and vanilla. Whisk together and set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or using a hand mixer, beat the eggs, sugar and salt on high until the mixture lightens in color and triples in volume. Fold the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and using with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 35 to 40 minutes. The cake will be just barely set in the center when done. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least 30 minutes before removing it to a plate.
- For the glaze, melt the chocolate and cream together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and whisk in the butter. Once the butter is incorporated stir in the crème de cassis and vanilla. Allow to cool 10 minutes, then spread over the top of the cake.
- Serve with the berries on the side.
3.1
https://www.charlottepuckette.com/recipes/desserts/flourless-chocolate-creme-de-cassis-cake/
