The great chocolate cake

1 servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2 cups Water
1 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder, pr ferably dutch process
1 teaspoon Vanilla
All-purpose flour
2 cups All-purpose flour; sifted
¾ cup Cake flour
7½ teaspoon Butter
6 teaspoons Light corn syrup
¼ cup Milk
¼ cup Water
3 teaspoons Butter
7 teaspoons Butter
1⅔ cup Sugar
2 cups Whipping cream
2 Egg yolks
2 teaspoons Baking soda
½ teaspoon Baking powder
½ teaspoon Salt
1 cup Butter, room temperature
2 cups Sugar
4 Eggs, room temperature
9 ounces Bittersweet or semisweet cho olate, chopped
5 teaspoons All-purpose flour
2 Eggs
Powdered sugar
¼ cup Milk
Fresh flowers, strawberries or raspberries

Directions

CAKE

GLAZE

LATTICE

CARAMEL SAUCE

For cake, bring water to boil. Place cocoa in large bowl. Add water in thin stream, whisking until smooth. Cool, stirring frequently. Add vanilla. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour one 14" or two 10" round cake pans. Sift flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into large bowl. Using electric mixer, cream butter in another bowl.

Gradually, blend in sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Fold in flour mixture and dissolved cocoa, alternately in three additions each, beginning and ending with flour. Batter may appear curdled. Do not overmix. Turn batter into prepared pan or pans. Bake until tester inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and towel. Cook cake completely. For glaze, bring butter and corn syrup to simmer in heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and stir until smooth. Cool 15 minutes. Refrigerate 15 minutes or until spreadable.

Set aside ½ cup. Spread remainder on top and sides of cake. For lattice, bring milk, water and butter to boil in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Whisk in flour. Set over medium-high heat and stir until dough forms ball and leaves film on bottom of pan.

Remove pan from heat. Stir in eggs, one at a time. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter baking sheet. Spoon batter into pastry bag fitting with Number 2 plain tip. Pipe 12 - 4 x 4" square lattices on prepared sheet. Bake until puffed and lightly browned, about 10 minutes. Using spatula, transfer to rack. Cool slightly. Dust with powdered sugar. For sauce, melt butter in heavy saucepan over medium-low heat . Stir in sugar, gradually, letting each addition dissolve before adding more. Cook until rich brown color, stirring frequently, about 30 minutes. Stir in cream (be careful, mixture may splatter), then gradually, bring to boil, stirring until smooth.

Cool completely. Transfer to processor. Whisk yolks with milk. With machine running, blend mixture into sauce. To assemble, cut cake into 4 x 4" squares or 4" diamonds. Spoon sauce onto plate. Set lattice in center. Top with cake. gently, reheat reserved glaze. Spoon into plastic applicator bottle with fine tip. Pipe two parallel circles around outer edge of lattice. Using knife, bisect both lines at ½" intervals to form design. Decorate with flowersor berries. Submitted By ROBERT MILES On 08-31-95

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