Chocolate Truffle Cake with Raspberries and Almonds
After I posted the menu for the cooking class I did last week, many of you asked me to share the Chocolate Truffle Cake Recipe. This Flourless Chocolate Cake is probably the easiest cake you will ever make as there are only three ingredients. It is practically a no-brainer. The first time I made this cake was in the late ’90s when I owned my little shop in Victoria Park, Camille’s Gourmet To Go and Catering. I found this recipe in a food magazine (not sure which one) but I feel as if it’s mine since I have made this wonderful chocolaty treat at least 150 times and, I believe, that is an under-estimated count.
Before I go any further, how about a little lesson in Chocolate. I tried not to get too involved or complicated in the lesson and what I have given you is an overview of this wonderful food.
Unsweetened chocolate (also known as pure chocolate) contains primarily cocoa solids and cocoa butter in varying proportions. Much of the chocolate consumed today is in the form of sweet chocolate, combining chocolate with sugar. Milk chocolate is sweet chocolate that additionally contains milk powder or condensed milk. European rules specify a minimum of 25% total dry cocoa solids for Milk Chocolate. “White chocolate” contains cocoa butter, sugar, and milk but no cocoa solids. Chocolate contains alkaloids such as theobromine and phenethylamine, which have some physiological effects in humans, but the presence of theobromine renders it toxic to some animals, such as dogs and cats. It has been linked to serotonin levels in the brain. Dark chocolate has been promoted for unproven health benefits, as it seems to possess substantial amount of antioxidants that reduce the formation of free radicals.
White chocolate is formed from a mixture of sugar, cocoa butter and milk solids. Although its texture is similar to milk and dark chocolate, it does not contain any cocoa solids. Because of this, many countries do not consider white chocolate as chocolate at all. Although first introduced by Hebert Candies of Massachusetts in 1955, Mars, Incorporated was the first to produce white chocolate within the United States. Because it does not contain any cocoa solids, white chocolate does not contain any theobromine, meaning it can be consumed by animals.
Dark chocolate is produced by adding fat and sugar to the cacao mixture. The U.S. Government calls this “sweet chocolate”, and requires a 15% concentration of chocolate liquor. European rules specify a minimum of 35% cocoa solids. Dark chocolate, with its high cocoa content, is a rich source of epicatechin and gallic acid, which are thought to possess cardio-protective properties. Dark chocolate has also been said to reduce the possibility of a heart attack when consumed regularly in small amounts. Semisweet chocolate is a dark chocolate with a low sugar content. Bittersweet chocolate is chocolate liquor to which some sugar (typically a third), more cocoa butter, vanilla and sometimes lecithin have been added. It has less sugar and more liquor than semisweet chocolate, but the two are interchangeable in baking.
Unsweetened chocolate is pure chocolate liquor, also known as bitter or baking chocolate. It is unadulterated chocolate: the pure, ground, roasted chocolate beans impart a strong, deep chocolate flavor.
Raw chocolate, often referred to as raw cacao, is always dark and a minimum of 75% cacao. Because the act of processing results in the loss of certain vitamins and minerals (such as magnesium), some consider raw cacao to be a more nutritious form of chocolate.
Some people who purchase chocolate off the store shelf can be disappointed when they see whitish spots on the dark chocolate part. This is called chocolate bloom and is not an indication of chocolate gone bad. Instead, this is just an indication that sugar and/or fat has separated due to poor storage.
Information overload!!!! At least you now have an idea of what chocolate is about. The above information was taken from Wikipedia and the amount of info in Wikipedia concerning chocolate is huge, so if what I have here is not enough for you, you can always log onto the site.
Enough information, now the recipe. Now Go, Bake and Enjoy!!!!
Chocolate Truffle Cake (Flourless Chocolate Cake)
In this recipe you can use a really good chocolate chip such as Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate if you don’t feel like chopping the chocolate yourself. I use the chips almost all of the time when making this cake because I am usually making more than one and don’t want to spend the time chopping.
8 Large Eggs, Cold
1 Pound Semisweet Chocolate, Coarsely Chopped
1/2 Pound (2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter Cut into ½ Inch Chunks
1 1/2 Cups Toasted Sliced Almonds
1/2 Cup Seedless Raspberry Jam
Adjust oven rack to lower middle position. Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Spray the bottom and sides of an 8″ spring-form pan with non-stick baking spray (PAM). Wrap pan in foil so water does not seep in. Set in a large roasting pan. Bring a pan of water to a boil.
Beat eggs with a standing mixer using the whisk attachment. Beat on high for 5 minutes. In the mean time melt chocolate and butter in a heat proof bowl over the simmering water until smooth and very warm 115 degrees (or melt chocolate and butter in the microwave on high in one minute intervals, stirring at end of each interval). Gently fold the egg mixture into the chocolate a third at a time until incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Pour boiling water into roasting pan until water reaches half way up the side of the cake pan. Bake until cake has risen slightly, edges are just beginning to set and a thin glaze has formed on the surface and an instant read thermometer registers 140-145 degrees F. about 25 minutes. Remove pan from water bath and remove the foil from around the pan. Cool the cake on a wire rack until completely cool. Refrigerate for 24 hours before removing the sides of the spring-form pan. (Don’t be tempted to remove the sides of the pan before refrigerating. The cake is extremely soft and if the sides are removed while still warm it will loose its shape.)
Remove pan from refrigerator and let set out for about an hour before removing the sides of the pan. Run a thin blade around cake to loosen from the sides and then remove the spring form. Garnish with fresh Raspberries. Gently press the toasted sliced almonds on to the side of the cake. Melt the Seedless Raspberry Jam in a small pan with 2 tablespoons of water or raspberry liquor (such as Chambord). Gently brush the berries with the melted jam to glaze. This cake must be served at room temperature. Serve with White Chocolate Whipped Cream. (You can top the cake with the berries, glaze it with the jam and arrange the almonds on the sides several hours in advance if you like. Refrigerate the cake until 1 hour before serving. The cake is best at room temperature. If it is too cold it will be hard to cut and not so enjoyable to eat.)
White Chocolate Whipped Cream
12 Ounces White Chocolate Chips
1 Cup Heavy Cream
1 Teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
1 Quart Heavy Cream
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
Put Chips in a large heat proof bowl.
In a medium sized sauce pan heat heavy cream and vanilla until just ready to boil. Remove from the heat and pour over the white chocolate chips. Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir to completely combine. Cool to room temperature. (Do not refrigerate to cool because it will get harden and will not incorporate into the whipped cream.)
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat cream slowly for about 30 seconds (this adds air to the cream and makes it fluffier). Add the sugar and beat on high until stiff peaks form. Add the melted and cooled white chocolate in a stream to cream and beat until incorporated. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before using.
If you have any questions please comment on the blog or feel free to e-mail me at camille@camillecooksforyou.com