There are a few techniques that one has to learn to be able to make 90% of all western or asian cakes.
This recipe highlights some of the easiest skills, which is beating eggs to the ribbon stage. It is unlike making a meringue or creaming butter. The second baking method highlighted here is the J-fold.
Warning: super addictive and decadent. I have made 6 of these over the last week. Most folks prefer the texture of the gluten-free version.
Fruits or ganache over it makes it even more ridiculously sinful. I just sprinkle ‘snow’ over it and top it with fresh fruit. Note: snow is a version of icing sugar that has a higher corn starch content.
You can adjust the flour to what you like, to the point of being a gluten-free cake. It will be moist and super delicious and not feel like a gluten-free cake at all. In fact, most of my tasters feel that the gluten-free version is the best heated up and eaten with ice-cream. It feels like a super moist cake or a really light brownie.
I use dark chocolate, but if you like milk chocolate, just substitute the dark chocolate with milk chocolate.
FreeStyle Gateau au Chocolat
Equipment
- Electric Mixer or Muscles
- 15 cm cake tin, bottom lined
Ingredients
- 85 g Chocolate (Milk or Dark)
- 65 g Butter (Salted or unsalted. If unsalted, add a pinch of salt)
- 1/2 tsp Instant Coffee granules (optional)
Sifted Items (sift twice)
- 25 g cocoa powder
- 15 g Plain flour or corn starch (leave out if preferred gluten-free or want a really wet cake)
Egg Mixture
- 3 small eggs
- 70 g caster sugar
Instructions
- Line the bottom of a 15cm cake tin. A preferred tin is light colored. Preheat the oven at 160C.
- Place chocolate, butter and coffee granules. in a metal saucepan.
- Place saucepan in a double boiler or over really low heat in an electric burner, until all the chocolate and butter have melted, stir through.
- Add sifted items into the saucepan and fold in until the paste become smooth again.
Beat Eggs
- Beat the 3 eggs until it is foaming and add half the sugar and beat until thick (like melted ice-cream).
- Add the rest of the sugar and beat until ribbon stage.
Mix it up
- Mix in 1/3 of the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture.
- Fold in the rest of the egg mixture 1/2 at a time. Be quick and gentle, using a J-fold method. Don't take too long or you will lose all the air you have beaten into the eggs.
- Drop the cake tin at a height twice (not more) to release the large air bubble.
Baking
- Place the cake in the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 40 minutes. If you want the cake to be wet in the middle, then take it out 5 minutes earlier.
