Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Life-Changing Chocolate Cake

I apologize for this dark/bright photos. I took them late in the evening.

I knew I needed to make this cake when I saw how much flour was required in relation to the other ingredients - 1 tablespoon! This cake was so smooth, warm, and amazing. It truly is life-changing and perfect for those who are having their monthly cravings (*clears throat*).
I halved this recipe (yes, I used 2.5 eggs) because I didn't want to use up all of my good chocolate and because I didn't have anyone with whom to share this dessert :( awwww. Also, I wanted to use my new mini-springform pans!

I quickly made the batter and poured most of it in one pan and the rest in the other. When I took them out of the oven, they were still jiggly, but the instructions indicated that that was normal. However, the one with more batter was clearly not done because after cooling, it was still sort of jiggly and the innards were like yummy, chocolate lava. It still tasted amazing, but the other cake that was done tasted much better.
Top photo: less batter and done; bottom photo: more batter, not fully done

So, when you make this, because I know you will, make sure it is not jiggling after 3-5 minutes of cooling. If it is, put it back in the oven for 5 more minutes at a time. Keep in mind that there still should be a jiggling factor, though :).
Not fully done, but tastes great all the same!

This cake is like a brownie and a wanna-be lava cake in one. I'm definitely making this again. Since chocolate is the star in the recipe, make sure you use high-quality chocolate. I used my now-favorite chocolate, Callebaut. I didn't use bittersweet because I don't like it, so I used semi-sweet instead. Also, I added espresso powder to intensify the chocolate flavor, and I added vanilla extract. However, feel free to keep it simple, if you prefer. I'm sure it is still fantastic.
The "done" cake

Life-Changing Chocolate Cake

Adapted from Kitchen Crush who got it from Chocolate by Trish Deseine

200g dark chocolate, 70% cacao (I used semi-sweet)
14 Tbsp (200g) unsalted butter
1-2 tsp espresso powder (optional)
1 1/3 cup (250g) sugar
5 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
1 Tbsp AP flour

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Melt the chocolate and the butter in a bowl, sitting over a pot of simmering water (bain marie/double boiler). Once melted, add the sugar and mix thoroughly. Take off the heat and let cool a little. Put in the eggs, one by one, and make sure to thoroughly mix them in. Add a Tbs of flour and mix till smooth. Line a small (15cm/8in), round baking form with baking paper and pour the chocolate mass in. Bake for 25 minutes, then take it out of the oven and let it cool. The center may look a bit wobbly, but it is supposed to look this way. Put it in the fridge for at least 2 hours to let it set and take out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving. Serve with whipped cream and raspberries, and let this magic cake change your life for better.

"Please, sir. I want some more." -Oliver Twist (click here for the movie clip!)

39 comments:

  1. Wow..life changing...
    Those mini springforms look really neat to me.
    Wish I can get my hands on some.

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  2. Que delícia...bem ia agora....
    Beijinhos

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  3. This is definitely "life changing" as it's a gorgeous chocolate cake. Love the simple decoration of piped cream around the edges.

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  4. With a title like that, you're gonna have the whole word fixated on this cake, Memória! Love that they have the jiggly factor. LOL. It's kinda like a flourless chocolate cake, no? Regardless, I have only 2 words - HOLY YUM.

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  5. These gooey wonderful cakes and those beautiful chocolate cinnamon rolls must have been heaven. I'm saving both recipes. Thank-you!

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  6. I loove my mini springform pans for desserts like this. Bookmarking immediately.

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  7. Oh my! That looks so delicious!! I will definitely be making this one, soon!!

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  8. These TOTALLY look life-changing to me!! And the jiggly centers look awesome, in my opinion! Warm, gooey cake is NEVER a bad thing! :-)

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  9. That looks so amazing! This would have been a wonderful cake for Valentine's day. It's definitely going on my 'have to try this!' list : )

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  10. Yum! I'd take either one of these and I wouldn't mind if I didn't have to share with anybody. They look delicious!!!

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  11. I love chocolate; you love chocolate; all God's children love chocolate, jiggly or not! You've got it going on, my chocolate cake making, awesome photo taking friend! :o)

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  12. I'm pretty sure this is actually pure heaven and not cake. Love a good gooey chocolate cake!

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  13. No apologies necessary the pictures are great. Stop tempting me with these. I'm supposed to be cutting down on snacks....oh alright so maybe I'll go on that diet right after a slice of this:-)

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  14. Is it life changing because you used the "good vanilla" ha ha!

    This looks yummy!

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  15. Oh boy. I've made this before (not the same recipe but same ingredients and same end product) and it was heaven! Chocolate lover's fantasy, for sure. Your pics are great, as always.

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  16. OMG! Esto se ve muito muito gostoso! Eu quero.

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  17. Ah! I was just about to buy those mini springforms and now I will go and buy them! I'm so annoyed now I didn't buy them 2 days ago. I will go and I will make this soon for my special time as well. Thanks for being a supportive sister! :D Hahaha.

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  18. Oh my... these look wonderful! I must make this!

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  19. Wow - they look tasty and beautiful.

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  20. That looks so good! I've always wanted to make lava cakes!

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  21. It looks good but ya know, I'm more of a vanilla girl.
    ~ingrid

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  22. love the slight runny middle and the touch of espresso. looks really good

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  23. Those pans are so cute. These cakes do look amazing and life changing -- too bad you can't share with me. Where do you buy your Callebut chocolate from?

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  24. Wendy - I think these mini pans were about 2 U.S.. dollars each. They were super cheap.

    Mari - muito obrigada!

    Jo - Haha! That is all the creativity you're going to get out of me with piping cream/frosting. Thanks for the compliment!

    Ju - Yeah, it is like a flourless cake, but that one Tbsp stabilizes it a bit more...well, if you cook it properly haha. I'm glad you liked the jiggly factor, too!

    Laura. Esi, Susan - I look forward to seeing your posts about these. I'm sure your photos and treats will look much better haha.

    Cozy - Right? YUM! Chocolate!

    Amy - I like the jiggly part, too. :)

    JunkFoodJane - Oh, I do hope you try this!! I'm sure yours will come out a lot better haha.

    OneOrdinary - See? There are advantages to living alone haha.

    Mom - Thanks, mommy.

    Joanne & Queen B - Yum is right!

    Wizzy - LOL!!! Stay firm on the diet, chica!! You can make this cake another day. :)

    Monica - You know it was the good vanilla. You have to take a sniff of it before you pour it in the batter, though...the Ina Garten way haha.

    Veronica - Ah, so you understand how awesome this cake is. Thanks!

    Leeds - Não! Você não pode comer chocolate nem doce rsrsrs!

    S - Yes, buy some. I already want more!! They are so cute and handy, especially for people who live alone like me haha.

    Catherine - I hope you do make it! Tell me how it turns out, please.

    Pam - They are!

    Amanda - Well, this wasn't supposed to be a lava cake hahaha. It is supposed to be a dense, creamy, luscious cake. The "done" cake fit that description; the other one ended up looking like a lava cake LOL!!

    Ingrid - Then you get your comment off of my page then! LOL!!!! You don't belong here! j/k I love all things vanilla, too. That is why I added it to the cake :P.

    Noobcook - Thanks. The changes really enhanced the chocolate flavor.

    msmeanie - Thanks! Yes, it is too bad. I would have loved to share it with you. I buy my chocolate from Central Market, a store similar to Whole Foods but cheaper with more "normal" products, yet organic items as well. It is my favorite store in the world haha. I buy the chocolate in bulk, which turns out to be comparable in price, if not cheaper, than the 4 oz bars of Ghiradelli chocolate. Also, the chocolate tastes much better than Ghiradelli chocolate and even Scharffenberger, in MY opinion, of course. I've yet to try Rey and other high-quality chocolates, but the store has those chocolates in bulk as well. You can end up with 1 pound (16 ounces) of really good Callebaut for about 6-7 dollars as opposed to paying 3-4 dollars for only 4 ounces of Ghiradelli chocolate.

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  25. I looks wonderful! Like a chocolate cloud cake! I need a life changing cake right about now!

    bittersweetsugarandsarcasm.blogspot.com

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  26. This looks heavenly. I'm thinking I might make it soon. I'm always game for super chocolaty goodness!

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  27. i think i would eat up all the edge with the cream first, ha :P

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  28. I'm vegan so sometimes have a hard time adapting recipes that have a lot of eggs in them, but this one certainly looks worth a try. And if it doesn't look as pretty, I bet it will still taste good. Who can go wrong with chocolate and sugar?

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  29. I am droooooooling! This cake looks divine! I will have to make it soon!

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  30. OMG! This looks absolutely amazing! I'm a chocoholic and would definitely try this!

    P.S. I follow your blog for a long time and I find it very interesting and helpful. I was so pleased to see you come by mine. Thank you!

    Best wishes,
    Irina

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  31. This looks incredible and truly deserving of the title! I relate to being hard on one's own photos, but no need for you to be as they are wonderful. I wish I would get chocolate lava centers on accident 8p.

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  32. Help : As in Indian based blog, would it be ok to host a giveaway for US + Canada?? Been approached with an opportunity. What do you think?

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  33. Hi Memoria, I'm glad you tried this recipe and that it worked out well for you. You're right in that the cake should not be too jiggly. I guess the doneness depends on the "rightness" of the temperature of your oven (I have found that 25 minutes at 180 degrees works in mine) and perhaps baking two cakes at the time brings the tempeature down. Also, if you cool it in the fridge for a couple of hours, will allow the cake to set.

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  34. This cake looks amazing! Even the underdone version looks good to me. I love cake in all its forms, even the batter. :)

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  35. I made this 2 weeks ago and it was AWESOME! I am a huge chocolate cake lover, and I've only been craving this chocolate cake ever since! :) I thought it was best a tiny bit warm (After about 1 hour in fridge), but my bf preferred it chilled the next day. Thanks for the recipe!

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  36. This cake is amazing. I've made it several times and it always turns out great. Thank you for the recipe.

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