Bittersweet Chocolate Cakes With Espresso Cream Food

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CAKES WITH ESPRESSO CREAM

Steps:

• Make cakes:
• Preheat oven to 375°F and generously butter muffin cups.
• Melt chocolate and butter in a metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove bowl from heat and add brown sugar and vanilla, whisking until smooth. Add flour and salt, whisking until just combined, then add eggs 1 at a time, whisking after each addition.
• Divide batter among muffin cups and bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering, 12 to 15 minutes. Invert cakes onto a rack and cool 5 minutes.
• Make espresso cream while cakes cool:
• Beat cream with espresso powder and sugar in a bowl with an electric mixer until it just holds stiff peaks.
• Serve 6 cakes topped with cream.

CAPPUCCINO POUND CAKE WITH BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan. Whisk the flour and baking soda together until blended.
• In a large bowl, mash the butter, cream cheese, white sugar and brown sugar with a spoon until the mixture is creamy and thoroughly combined. Beat in 1 egg at a time, mixing it in completely before adding the next one. Stir the vanilla extract with the instant espresso powder in a small bowl, and add it to the butter mixture. Stir in until well combined.
• Stir the flour mixture into the butter mixture in 1/2-cup quantities until the flour has been thoroughly incorporated. Stir in the chopped dark chocolate. Spoon the batter into the prepared cake pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours. Start checking for doneness after about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cake dish and allow to finish cooling. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

EXTRA-BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE POTS DE CRèME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a heavy saucepan, bring cream and milk to a boil. Remove from heat; whisk in chopped chocolate until smooth.
• In a large bowl, whisk together the yolks, sugar and salt. Whisking constantly, slowly pour hot chocolate into yolks. Strain through a very fine mesh sieve into a large measuring cup or bowl.
• Divide mixture among 2- to 4-ounce espresso cups or small ramekins. Set filled cups in a large roasting pan that has been positioned on center rack of oven. Add hot tap water to pan, halfway up sides of cups. Cover pan with foil; use a fork to prick holes in foil.
• Bake until edges are lightly set (lifting foil to check) but center is still jiggly - it will set as it cools - 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer cups to a wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate at least 3 hours before serving with crème fraîche or whipped cream.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour an 8-inch springform pan.
• Place a large heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bowl. Put the butter and chocolate in the bowl, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate melts. Take the bowl off the heat and set aside.
• First, whisk the sugar into the chocolate mixture, then whisk in the eggs, coffee, and salt, whisking until the mixture is combined and smooth. Sprinkle on the flour and fold it in with a rubber spatula until it's incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place it on a sheet pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes (see Cook's Note), until the top puffs up and cracks and the cake doesn't wobble when you jiggle the pan. (A toothpick will not come out clean.) Remove from the oven and cool completely on a baking rack. The cake will deflate as it cools. Run a small knife around the cake and remove the sides of the pan. Cut the cake in wedges and serve warm or at room temperature with sweetened whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or crème fraîche.

DENSE BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter the sides and bottom of a 10-inch springform pan and set aside.
• In the top of a double boiler, combine the butter, chocolate and coffee and melt slowly, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla until frothy. Whisk the eggs into the melted chocolate until combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and cool on a wire rack until it reaches room temperature.
• Remove the sides of the pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, before serving.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Position a rack in the center of an oven and preheat to 350°F
• Butter and flour an 8-inch springform pan with 2-inch sides.
• TO MAKE CAKE:
• In a bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa and espresso powder.
• Set aside.
• Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl and set over but not touching barely simmering water in a saucepan.
• Melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally.
• Remove the bowl from the heat and stir in the butter, a little at a time, until blended.
• Let cool slightly.
• In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks and superfine sugar.
• Using an electric mixer set on medium speed, beat until creamy, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Beat in the chocolate mixture until blended.
• Fold in the flour mixture and then the vanilla or Amaretto or rum flavoring or rum.
• In another large bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.
• Stir one-fourth of the whites into the batter, then fold in the remaining whites just until incorporated.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and level the top.
• Bake until the top is risen and crusty and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean, 30 to 35 minutes.
• The center should be soft and moist.
• Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
• The top will fall a bit.
• Remove the pan sides, loosen the cake's edges with a knife, and slide the warm cake onto a serving plate.
• WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING:.
• In a bowl, whisk together the cream and sour cream until slightly thickened.
• Whisk in the confectioners' sugar, orange zest and vanilla or Amaretto or rum flavoring or rum, until soft peaks form.
• Dust the warm cake with confectioners' sugar.
• Cut into slices and top with whipped cream topping and serve with fresh raspberries (raspberries are optional).
• ENJOY!

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE FALLEN SOUFFLé CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter two 1 1/4-cup ramekins and coat the inside of each ramekin with granulated sugar, knocking out the excess. In a small metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water melt 4 ounces of the chocolate and 1 tablespoon of the butter with the espresso mixture and 1 tablespoon of the Kahlúa or rum, whisk the mixture until it is smooth, and remove the bowl from the heat. Let the chocolate mixture cool for 5 minutes and whisk in the yolks, 1 at a time. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat the whites with a pinch of salt until they just hold stiff peaks, whisk about one fourth of them into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, and fold in the remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Divide the batter between the ramekins and bake the cakes in the middle of the oven for 17 to 20 minutes, or until they are puffed and a tester comes out almost clean. Let the cakes cool in the ramekins on a rack for 3 minutes.
• While the cakes are baking, in another small bowl set over the pan of barely simmering water melt 2 ounces of the remaining chocolate with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon butter and the heavy cream and whisk the sauce until it is smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon Kahlúa or rum.
• Pour half the sauce onto each of 2 dessert plates, run a thin knife around the edge of each ramekin, and invert a cake onto each plate. Top the cakes with the whipped cream and garnish them with the grated chocolate.

CHOCOLATE VOLCANO CAKES WITH ESPRESSO ICE CREAM(ATK)

Steps:

• FOR THE ICE CREAM: Transfer the ice cream to a medium bowl and, using a rubber spatula, fold in the ground espresso until incorporated. Press a sheet of plastic wrap flush against the ice cream to prevent freezer burn and return it to the freezer. (The ice cream can be prepared up to 24 hours ahead.).
• FOR THE CAKES: Lightly coat eight 4-ounce ramekins with butter. dust with sugar, tapping out any excess, and set aside.
• Melt the bittersweet and unsweetened chocolates and 10 tablespoons butter in a medium bowl over a medium saucepan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate mixture is smooth. In a large bowl, whisk the 1 1/2 cups sugar and cornstarch together. Add the chocolate mixture and stir to combine. Add the eggs, egg yolks, and Grand Marnier and whisk until fully combined. Scoop 1/2 cup of the batter into each of the prepared ramekins. (The ramekins can be covered tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.).
• Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the filled ramekins on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the tops of the cakes are set, have formed shiny crusts, and are beginning to crack, 16 to 20 minutes.
• Transfer the ramekins to a wire rack and cool slightly, about 2 minutes. Run a paring knife around the edge of each cake. Using a towel to protect your hand from the hot ramekins, invert each cake onto a small plate, then immediately invert again right-side up onto 8 individual plates. Sift confectioners' sugar over each cake and the area of the plate where the ice cream will be placed. Remove the ice cream from the freezer and scoop a portion on top of the confectioners' sugar, next to the cake. Serve immediately.