Warm Chocolate Cake

|Friday Baking Project|Cakes and Tortes, Friday Blog

10/25/2023

In the mid-1990s, while working as the pastry and event chef for Restaurant Associates’ catering division, the executive chef asked me to come to his office. The chairperson for an upcoming event for 860 guests at the American Museum of Natural History’s Hall of Ocean Life had requested the popular molten chocolate cakes for dessert. Could we do it, he asked? There was really only one correct answer, so I replied â€“ â€œOf course.â€

These types of challenges were why I loved large-scale catering dessert production. The initial step was to select a recipe. I had an excellent home recipe for warm chocolate cakes which relied on a chocolate ganache truffle placed in the middle of the cake for the signature creamy, melty interior. It originally called for small souffl© dishes but I had been using individual cake rings with excellent results.

The rings were expensive and we could buy only 200 of them. So, how to make 860 (plus extra) cakes? That’s when I remembered that the recipe called for freezing the batter before baking. This turned out to be the key. I lined the rings with parchment paper strips, made large batches, and froze them. Once 200 were frozen, I removed the rings, leaving the parchment strips on the cakes. I repeated this process until I had about 880 cakes.

I set up a production schedule to ensure that all the cakes were in the freezer days before the event. On the afternoon of the party, I baked the first 200, removed the rings, then proceeded to the next 200, and repeated the process until all 880 cakes were baked. The cakes were kept warm in metal holding cabinets.

At the museum, the dessert plates were assembled on long work tables. First, a team of chefs and servers placed the confectioners’ sugar-dusted cakes on the plates, followed by two chefs and me piping a rosette of whipped cream. Finally, a sprig of mint was added. I can still remember the thrill of looking down the long rows of finished plates just before the servers came to take them out to the guests.

In your own kitchen on a much smaller scale, warm chocolate cakes are a wonderful dessert for a special dinner party. With the cakes already in the freezer ready to bake, there is one less thing to think about during pre-dinner preparation. Just place them in the oven when you sit down to dinner, set a timer, and voila. Your guests will be treated to a special chocolate cake experience.

Warm Chocolate Cake

Yield: 6 to 8 individual cakes (see notes)

# of Servings: 6 to 8

Ingredients:

Ganache:

¼ c + 2 tbl (3 fl oz) heavy cream
3 oz chocolate, 58% to 64%, wafers or chopped

Cakes:

12 oz chocolate, 58% to 61%, chopped
6 tbl (3 oz / 85 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

5 large egg yolks
6 tbl (2.8 oz / 79 g) sugar

¾ cup (2.7 oz / 77 g) almond flour

5 large egg whites
Pinch of salt
4 tbl (1.8 oz / 51 g) sugar

Finishing:

Confectioners’ sugar, as needed, for dusting the cakes
1 cup (8 fl oz) heavy cream
2 tbl confectioners’ sugar

Special tools and equipment needed:

6 to 7 individual cake rings 3â€ by 1.75 â€ or 8 souffl© molds, 6 oz capacity, 3 ½â€ wide by 1 â… â€œ deep (See after-recipe notes for sources on both).
¼ sheet pan, or small baking sheet, with small Silpat or parchment paper
Handheld or free-standing mixer with whip attachment

Pre-recipe preparations

Make ganache centers the day before making the cakes.
If using cake rings, cut parchment paper strips 1.75â€ by 9 â…›â€
If using souffle molds, butter the molds well.

Directions:

Ganache centers:

In small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to the boil.
Add chocolate, cover the pan for 2 minutes.
Whisk gently until smooth, making sure not to beat air into the mixture.
Strain through fine-mesh strainer into a low container.
Place plastic film against the ganache, and poke a few holes with the tip of a paring knife.
Refrigerate several hours, or overnight, until firm.
Using a small scoop or teaspoon, make 7 round 1â€ truffles, or 8 if using souffl©dishes. Place them in the refrigerator while making the cake batter.

Cakes:

Lightly butter each cake ring and line with the parchment paper strip. Place on silpat or parchment lined baking pan.
Melt chocolate and butter together in large mixing bowl over double boiler or in microwave. Set aside.
Whip egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale. Add to chocolate/butter mixture and mix well.
Mix in the almond flour.
In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites with pinch of salt until soft peaks, then slowly add the sugar and beat until just stiff peaks. Do not overbeat.
Mix â…“ of the whites into chocolate mixture to lighten, then fold in remaining whites just until no streaks appear.
Using an ice cream scoop, or ¼ cup measure, fill molds â…“ with the batter. Place a chocolate truffle in each, and fill with remaining batter. Knock the pan gently on the counter so the batter settles around the truffle.
Place in freezer until solid. Once solid wrap well with plastic film. They may be stored in the freezer for up to one month

Baking and serving:

Preheat oven to 375 °F.
Place as many cakes as you wish to bake on small baking sheet or ¼ sheet pan.
Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the edges of the top feel just firm to the touch.
Place the pan with the cakes on it, on a cooling rack for 10 minutes. The centers of the cakes will sink.
Using pot holders or a kitchen towel, slide the rings off the cakes. Gently pull off the parchment paper strips.
If using souffl© molds, allow to cool for 10 minutes, place a plate over the warm cake and invert. Tap the souffl© mold gently if necessary to release the cake.
Dust the cakes lightly with confectioners’ sugar.
Slide a small spatula under each cake and move to a dessert plate.
Serve with slightly sweetened whipped cream to the side of the cakes. A few raspberries on the plate are a nice addition.

Notes:

Equipment sources: Cake rings â€“ 3â€ by 1 ¾” stainless steel rings by Fat Daddio are available on Amazon or through ChefCityOnline.com (Item SSRD 3175). 6-ounce souffl© dishes are available through Amazon or WIlliams-Sonoma.