Sunken Chocolate Cake Food

SUNKEN DRUNKEN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Gently heat the prunes and Marsala over a low heat until hot. Remove from the heat and leave for about 1 hr or until the prunes have absorbed almost all of the liquid. Whizz the prunes and any remaining booze in a food processor until roughly chopped.
• Butter and line the base of a 20cm springform tin. Dust with cocoa, tip out any excess and reserve. Melt the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Stir in the prune mix.
• Whisk the sugars, 2 eggs and 2 egg yolks until pale, thick and doubled in volume. Fold the chocolate mixture and vanilla into the egg mixture, then sift over the ground almonds, flour and remaining cocoa. Fold until everything is combined.
• Whisk the egg whites until stiff and gently fold into the mixture. Spoon into the prepared tin and bake for 20-25 mins or until a light crust has formed. Allow to cool in the tin - it will sink and crack as it cools. Remove from the tin and dust with cocoa before serving.

SUNKEN CHOCOLATE AMARETTO CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4 and lightly grease the sides and line the base of your springform cake tin with baking paper.
• Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl, either over a pan of boiling water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water, or in a microwave. Pour into a jug and leave to cool a little.
• Whisk the eggs and sugar until thick, moussy and doubled, if not tripled, in volume. This will take 2-3 minutes, using a freestanding mixer, or 4-5 minutes with an electric hand whisk.
• Mix the almonds and cocoa together in a small bowl. Turn the mixer speed to low and gently whisk into the eggs and sugar, tablespoon by tablespoon.
• Stir the amaretto liqueur into the slightly cooled, melted chocolate and butter, then pour this glossy mixture in a slow, steady stream into the cake batter, whisking all the time; it will look like a fabulous chocolate mousse. Give a final fold by hand to make sure everything is combined.
• Pour and scrape the batter into the prepared tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cake is beginning to come away at the edges, the top has formed a slightly cracked and bubbled thin crust the colour of pale milk chocolate - the cake will be dark and tender underneath - and a cake tester comes out with just a few damp crumbs cleaving to it.
• Remove to a wire rack, drape a clean tea towel over the tin and leave to cool. As it cools, the top of the cake will crack a little more, and it will sink slightly, leaving a frilly edge. Once the cake is cold, unclip the tin, and gently lift the cake out - remove the base only if you are very brave - onto a cake stand or plate. Dust the teaspoon of cocoa through a tea strainer over the top, rather like the coating on a chocolate truffle.
• Just before serving, whip the cream and amaretto together, until ripples start showing on the surface and it's thickened but still soft enough to dollop alongside the cake. Very gently fold most of the crumbled amaretti biscuits into the cream, which will thicken it slightly more. Decant into a small serving bowl and sprinkle the rest of the amaretti crumbles on top.

SUNKEN CHOCOLATE CAKES WITH COFFEE ICE CREAM

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter 4 cups in a jumbo nonstick muffin pan, leaving the 2 center cups empty. Coat lightly with sugar, and set aside. Place butter and chocolate in a heat-proof bowl; set over a pan of simmering water. Stir occasionally, until melted and thoroughly combined. Remove from heat; set aside.
• Combine the 4 egg yolks with 2 tablespoons sugar, and whisk until the mixture is pale yellow and thick. Stir in the melted chocolate-and-butter mixture.
• Whisk egg whites until soft peaks form, add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, and whisk until stiff and shiny but not dry. Fold into chocolate mixture. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups, and bake until set and slightly springy to the touch, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and transfer to a wire rack. Allow to cool for 15 minutes in pan; carefully run a knife around edges of cakes, and unmold. Serve each with a scoop of coffee ice cream.

SUNKEN CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Set oven rack to lowest possible position in oven.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
• Have ready a greased 8-9" springform pan lined with parchment paper.
• Put chocolate pieces into a large microwaveable bowl and cook on HIGH for 1 minute,stir, and continue cooking for 30 seconds, then stir again,repeat as needed until smooth& melted.
• Set melted chocolate- still in cooking bowl- over another bowl filled with HOT water on counter.
• Meanwhile, beat egg whites,adding just 1/4 cup of the sugar gradually, until stiff peaks form- they will appear shiny.
• In another bowl,cream the butter and remaining 1/4 cup sugar until fluffy.
• Add egg yolks and beat for 1 minute.
• Add finely ground nuts (they should be almost like a gritty powder) and the brandy and beat for 2 more minutes.
• Now, your chocolate should still be slightly warm, but no longer burning hot- add just a bit at a time to the butter mixture, stirring with a rubber spatula to combine well until all is added.
• Fold just 1/4 of the chocolate butter mixture into the egg whites.
• Next, gently pour the now chocolatey egg white mixture into the remaining chocolate butter mixture and fold very gently- you don't want to crush down the egg whites.
• (This whole back and forth procedure is essential to keeping the egg whites from getting crushed and to avoid cooking the eggs into scrambled eggs.) Pour carefully into the springform pan.
• Bake 40-45 minutes if using an 8" pan, slightly less for the 9" pan (about 35-40 minutes).
• Cake is ready when a toothpick comes out with thick, moist but NOT wet crumbs stuck to it- it should NOT come out clean.
• Let cake cool in pan 30 minutes- the cake will sink considerably.
• Remove outer ring of pan and invert cake onto a platter.
• -peel off the parchment.
• Sprinkle with some additional granulated sugar (or powdered sugar).
• This should be served warm, with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream on top, and a garnish of fresh berries in season.
• It is moist in texture- more like a fudgey brownie than a fluffy cake texture.
• Leftovers should be kept in the fridge.
• If you need to make this in advance, set the cake out on the counter about 30 minutes before serving to bring it to room temperature.
• Garnish just before serving or the whipped cream will weep and make a mess all over the cake.

PERFECT FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F.
• Oil and flour a 9-inch springform cake round.
• Cut a piece of wax paper or parchment to fit inside the bottom of the pan, place the paper in the bottom of the pan.
• In a double-boiler on gentle heat, melt the butter and chocolate together until smooth.
• Set aside to cool slightly.
• In a clean mixing bowl (make sure there is no oil residue on the bowl or mixer attachments) beat the egg whites until they become cloudy and frothy; about 30 seconds.
• Continue beating while adding the brown sugar and cream of tartar.
• Beat until stiff peaks form- be careful not to over beat--this is most important!
• If the eggs curdle, throw them away and start over with new egg whites, seriously.
• Whisk the egg yolks and vanilla into the melted chocolate mixture in a large mixing bowl.
• Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate (start by folding in about 1/3rd of the whites, then gently fold in the remaining whites), the mixture should end up fluffy and light.
• Pour into the prepared pan.
• Wrap the bottom of the pan with foil and place the pan in a deep cooking sheet with about 1/2 to 1 inch of water in it.
• Bake the cake for about 60-70 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.
• Remove cake from oven and allow to cool for about an hour.
• Gently run a knife around the edge of the pan, and then carefully invert the cake onto a flat plate or other surface.
• Remove the paper from the bottom (now the top) of the cake.
• Invert again onto the final plate for displaying the cake.
• The cake can be eaten right away but it may fall slightly when it is cut- for best results, it should be refrigerated for at least 6 hours before serving.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Butter a 23cm springform cake tin and line the base with baking parchment.
• Melt the butter and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl in the microwave or over a pan of gently simmering water. Mix the coffee powder with 2 tbsp hot water until dissolved. Stir the coffee into the chocolate and set aside to cool slightly.
• Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl for 2 mins with an electric whisk until soft peaks form. In another large bowl, whisk both the sugars, the vanilla and egg yolks for 5-8 mins, or until pale and fluffy. Sift the cocoa powder into the egg yolk mixture and mix gently to combine.
• Stir the cooled chocolate into the egg yolk mixture, then gently fold through the egg whites until smooth. Transfer to the tin and bake for 1hr-1hr 20 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool, remove from the tin and serve with fresh berries, if you like.

SUNKEN CHOCOLATE-ORANGE CUPCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Place almonds in processor. Using on/off turns, blend until nuts are coarsely ground.
• Line 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. Microwave chocolate and butter in small bowl on high 30 seconds; stir. Microwave until almost melted, about 30 seconds longer. Stir to combine. Cool chocolate mixture until barely lukewarm but still liquid, about 5 minutes. Whisk egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar in large bowl until blended. Mix in orange peel, ground almonds, and chocolate mixture.
• Using electric mixer, beat egg whites and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in another large bowl until mixture is thick and glossy and peaks form. Fold egg-white mixture into chocolate mixture in 3 additions. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups (about 1/3 cup batter in each). Bake until edges are firm and tops are cracked all over, about 16 minutes for very soft cake or about 22 minutes for firmer cake. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm in microwave in 10-second intervals before serving.