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Authors: David Lebovitz

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BOOK: Ready for Dessert
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At the end of most of the cake recipes, I offer suggestions for accompaniments, but I encourage you to do your own mixing and matching of cakes with sauces or dollops of something delicious. Some, like the upside-down cakes—
plum-blueberry
and
nectarine-raspberry gingerbread
—are fine just as they are, but they would certainly benefit from a scoop of
Vanilla Ice Cream
or a mound of
whipped cream
. Others, like the
Lemon Semifreddo
can be embellished with a fruity accompaniment, such as a spoonful of
Blackberry Sauce
. The Basics, Sauces, and Preserves chapter, offers a variety of sauces, from elegant
Raspberry Sauce
to a suave, but uncomplicated Tangerine
Butterscotch Sauce
so you can create your own combinations.

 

Chocolate Pavé

MAKES ONE 9-INCH (23-CM) SQUARE CAKE; 9 SERVINGS

This Chocolate Pavé is an adaptation of a recipe by Lindsey Shere, co-owner and executive pastry chef at Chez Panisse when the restaurant opened, who taught me much of what I know about baking and desserts. Of all the things I learned, the most important lesson was how to appreciate a killer-good chocolate cake just as it is, without dressing it up with fancy swoops and swirls of frosting or layering it with creams or fillings. When I once expressed dismay that I hadn’t learned how to make all those fancy, frilly desserts during my tenure with her, she replied, “Why would you want to? They usually don’t taste good.”

Pavé
means “paving stone” in French. This cake is traditionally baked in a square pan so it can be cut into rectangles, creating edible slabs that are delectably rich. After one soft, moist, luscious bite, they’ll remind you of paving stones only in appearance.

Cocoa powder, for preparing the pan

1 cup (8 ounces/225 g) salted or unsalted butter, cut into pieces

4 ounces (115 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

4 ounces (115 g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped

6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

½ cup (100 g) plus ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar

Pinch of salt

Powdered sugar, for dusting the cake

Melted bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, for decorating the cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch (23-cm) square cake pan, dust it with a bit of cocoa powder, then tap out any excess. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.

In a large heatproof bowl, combine the butter and both chocolates. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until the mixture is melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, whisk together the egg yolks and ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar on high speed until the mixture leaves a defined ribbon on the surface when you lift the beater, about 5 minutes. Fold in the melted chocolate mixture until fully incorporated.

In a clean, dry bowl and with a clean whip attachment, whisk the egg whites and salt on low speed until they form soft, wet peaks. Gradually beat in the remaining ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar and continue whisking at high speed until the whites hold stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture just until there are no visible streaks of egg whites. Don’t overfold.

Scrape the batter into the prepared cake pan and gently smooth the top. Bake until just barely set in the center (it should still feel jiggly), about 35 minutes. The cake will rise as it bakes and form a slightly crackly top. Let cool about 15 minutes.

Run a knife around the sides of the cake to help loosen it from the pan. Invert the cake onto a plate, peel off the parchment paper, and re-invert it onto a large platter or cutting board. Let cool completely.

Dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar and cut the cake into squares. Dip a fork in melted chocolate and wave it back and forth over the cake, creating an abstract design on top.

SERVING:
Serve each slab in a pool of
crème anglaise
. If you like, a handful of raspberries or a few
Candied Cherries
are delicious alongside.

STORAGE:
This cake is best served the day it’s made.

TIP:
Leftover bits of Chocolate Pavé are wonderful crumbled into just-churned ice cream, especially
Caramel Ice Cream
.

 

 

Chocolate Orbit Cake

MAKES ONE 9-INCH (23-CM) CAKE; 12 TO 14 SERVINGS

I developed this recipe because I’d been asked by a restaurant to come up with an idiotproof chocolate dessert. Since the cake I created was impossible to mess up, I called it Chocolate Idiot Cake (behind everyone’s back, of course). A few years later, I made it in another restaurant and someone commented that the surface of the cake looked lunar, so it was christened with a kinder, gentler name: Chocolate Orbit Cake.

Not that any of you out there is an idiot, but this is the perfect cake for any baker who may not be a rocket scientist in the kitchen. No matter what you call it, it’ll surely launch anyone who takes a bite into chocolate heaven.

1 cup (8 ounces/225 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

12 ounces (340 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

6 large eggs, at room temperature

1 cup (200 g) sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch (23-cm) springform pan or round cake pan. If using a springform pan, wrap a large sheet of aluminum foil around the outside of the pan, making sure it’s absolutely watertight. If using a cake pan, line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Set the springform or cake pan in a large roasting pan.

In a large heatproof bowl, combine the butter and chocolate. Set the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir occasionally until the mixture is melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar, then whisk in the melted chocolate mixture until completely incorporated.

Scrape the batter into the prepared springform or cake pan and cover the pan tightly with foil. Pour very warm water into the roasting pan to reach halfway up the outside of the cake pan. Bake until the cake appears to be set and your finger comes away clean when you gently touch the center (it will still feel quite soft), about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the water bath and let cool completely.

To unmold, run a knife around the sides of the cake to help loosen it from the pan. If you’ve used a springform pan, simply release the sides. If you’ve used a regular cake pan, invert the cake onto a plate, peel off the parchment paper, then re-invert onto a serving platter.

SERVING:
This cake is an overload of chocolate, so serve it in small wedges, accompanied with
whipped cream
,
crème anglaise
or a scoop of
Caramel Ice Cream
.
Chocolate curls and shavings
are elegant garnishes.

STORAGE:
This cake can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.

 

Marjolaine

MAKES ONE 12-INCH (30-CM) RECTANGULAR CAKE; 12 SERVINGS

I’m not a fan of fancy, complicated desserts, but I am a fan of anything delicious—especially when it involves caramelized nuts, chocolate ganache, and Cognac-flavored crème fraîche, as this cake does. True, this recipe requires a few steps to gather the components, but slicing layers of nutty meringue and spreading layers of crackly praline cream never feels like work to me. Like all good things,
marjolaine
is worth the effort.

To make things easy, instead of laborious buttercream, I make a simple crème fraîche-based icing, which adds a distinctive tangy flavor and isn’t so rich. You can make the praline and the meringue days in advance, and the
marjolaine
should be assembled at least a day before it is served to give the flavors a chance to marry, so you can stage out the preparation. It’s really not difficult to assemble once you’ve gotten the components organized. And I guarantee, when you proudly glide a slick layer of chocolate ganache over the top and then take that first bite, you’ll be congratulating yourself on a job well done.

NUT MERINGUE

¾ cup (75 g) hazelnuts, toasted

¾ cup (75 g) almonds, toasted

⅓ cups (265 g) sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

8 large egg whites, at room temperature

Pinch of salt

PRALINE

½ cup (100 g) sugar

½ cup (65 g) almonds, toasted and coarsely chopped

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

¾ cup (180 g) crème fraîche

10 ounces (280 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

PRALINE AND VANILLA CREAMS

¾ cup (180 g) crème fraîche

¼ cup (60 ml) heavy cream

2 tablespoons (30 g) sugar

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon Cognac or brandy

Before preparing this recipe, see
Caramelization Guidelines
.

TIP:
Some of the components can be made ahead: The meringue can be made up to 3 days in advance and wrapped in plastic. The praline can be made 1 week in advance, chopped, and kept in an airtight container.

To make the nut meringue, preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Coat the bottom and sides of a 12 by 18-inch (30 by 46-cm) baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Generously grease the parchment paper, then dust the pan with flour and tap out any excess.

Rub the toasted hazelnuts between your hands or in a kitchen towel to loosen and remove the skins. In a food processor fitted with the metal blade or in a blender, pulverize the almonds and hazelnuts with the 1⅓ cups (265 g) sugar and the cornstarch until finely ground, then transfer the mixture to a bowl.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment, whisk the egg whites on low speed until frothy. Add the salt, increase the speed to high, and beat until the egg whites form stiff peaks.

Gradually sprinkle the ground-nut mixture over the egg whites, folding it in as you go. Scrape the batter onto the prepared baking sheet and smooth with a spatula. Bake until light golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely.

To make the praline, lightly coat a baking sheet with cooking spray or line it with a silicone baking mat. Spread the ½ cup (100 g) sugar in an even layer in a medium heavy-bottomed skillet and cook over medium heat until the sugar begins to melt around the edges. Using a heatproof utensil, slowly drag the liquefied sugar to the center and stir gently until all of the sugar is melted. Continue to cook, stirring infrequently, until the caramel is deep amber in color and begins to foam a bit. Remove from the heat, immediately stir in the chopped almonds, then pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread it in an even layer. Let cool completely. The praline will harden with cooling.

Once cool, break up the praline with your hands. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade or with a chef’s knife, chop the praline into very small pieces. Transfer to a medium bowl.

To make the ganache, heat the ¾ cup (180 g) crème fraîche in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just begins to boil. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Let stand for a minute, then stir until the mixture is completely smooth. Set aside to cool.

To make the praline and vanilla creams, in a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment (or in a bowl by hand), whisk together the ¾ cup (180 g) crème fraîche, the cream, 2 tablespoons (30 g) sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until the mixture is stiff but still glossy. Don’t overbeat.

For the praline cream, stir ⅔ cup (160 ml) of the whipped crème fraîche mixture into the chopped praline. (The mixture will seem somewhat stiff, but the ingredients will meld and by the time you’re ready to use it, the praline cream will be spreadable.) Set aside.

For the vanilla cream, add the Cognac or brandy to the remaining whipped crème fraîche mixture and whisk lightly until firm. Set aside.

To assemble the
marjolaine,
run a knife around the edges of the meringue to loosen it from the pan, place another baking sheet over it, and invert the meringue. Peel away the parchment paper, holding down the meringue as you pull so that it won’t break. (If you do break the meringue, it can be patched together when you are assembling the layers.)

Using a serrated bread knife, cut the meringue crosswise (not lengthwise) into 4 even rectangles, each about 4½ by 12 inches (11 by 30 cm). Cover a baking sheet or large rectangular platter with plastic wrap and set one meringue rectangle on top. Spread ¾ cup (180 ml) of the chocolate ganache over it in an even layer. Cover and refrigerate the remaining ganache.

BOOK: Ready for Dessert
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