Bitter Chocolate Cake Recipes

Steps:

• For cake:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 12-inch round cake pan with 2-inch-high sides with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper round. Spray parchment paper with nonstick spray. Dust pan with flour, tapping out any excess. Sift 2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into medium bowl. Sift cocoa into another medium bowl. Pour 1 cup boiling water over cocoa; whisk to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and eggs in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add butter to egg mixture and beat until blended. Beat in cocoa mixture. Add buttermilk and vanilla; beat to blend. Add dry ingredients and beat on low just to blend. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.
• Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 38 minutes. Cool cake completely in pan on rack. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.
• Place chopped chocolate, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl. Bring cream and sugar to boil in medium saucepan, stirring to dissolve sugar. Carefully pour hot cream mixture into bowl with chocolate. Let stand 1 minute. Whisk until melted and smooth. Chill ganache until thickened and spreadable, about 1 hour.
• Carefully invert cake onto large cake plate. Gently remove parchment paper. Spread ganache over top and sides of cake and allow ganache to set, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Cake can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before decorating.
• Decorate cake with edible flowers. Cut into wedges and serve.
• Available at some supermarkets and at farmers' markets. Use only those flowers that have been grown without pesticides.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Line bottom of 9-inch-diameter cake pan with 2-inch-high sides with waxed paper. Butter sides of pan and paper. Dust pan with flour. Melt chocolate and butter in top of double boiler over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Cool slightly.
• Whisk yolks and sugar in large bowl until pale yellow. Mix in flour, then chocolate mixture. Using electric mixer, beat whites in another bowl until stiff but not dry. Fold into chocolate mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. Cool completely in pan on rack. Run small sharp knife around sides of pan to loosen cake. Turn cake out onto platter and cool. (Can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover with cake dome and let stand at room temperature.) Sift powered sugar over cake and serve.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Butter the sides and bottom of a 10-inch springform pan and set aside.
• In the top of a double boiler, combine the butter, chocolate and coffee and melt slowly, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla until frothy. Whisk the eggs into the melted chocolate until combined. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour and cool on a wire rack until it reaches room temperature.
• Remove the sides of the pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, before serving.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and position rack in the center.
• Pour 1/2 -inch water into a large roasting pan and place in oven. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment paper, cut to fit. Butter the paper. Wrap the outside of the pan tightly with a large piece of heavy-duty aluminum foil.
• Put 1 cup of sugar and the coffee in a medium saucepan over a high heat. Bring to boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve sugar. Remove from the heat add the chocolate and return to low heat. Keep stirring over heat until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cocoa powder and salt until smooth. Add brandy. Whisk in the egg yolks until no trace of yolk is left. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Whisk the flour into the chocolate mixture.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the 6 egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and beat on high until peaks are almost stiff.
• Stir about 1/4 of the egg whites into chocolate mixture (no need to fold at this point). Then gently fold in the remaining whites, 1/3 at a time, until no streaks of white remain. Pour into pan and smooth top. Bake in water bath for 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Place cake on wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Remove sides of pan and carefully invert cake onto cardboard cake round or flat plate. Chill for at least 2 hours before glazing.
• Remove the cake from the refrigerator and place it on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Pour the chocolate glaze over the cake, covering it completely; spread evenly with a metal spatula. Serve the cake immediately or refrigerate. Bring the cake to room temperature before serving.
• Put chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a gentle boil. Whisk in the honey. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and let the mixture stand for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate. Whisk the mixture until smooth. Cover the surface of the glaze with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes, or until slightly thickened.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 320F.
• Butter a 9 inch springform pan.
• Sprinkle bottom and sides with sugar.
• Tap out excess.
• Wrap foil around bottom and 2 inches up around outside of pan.
• Combine butter and chocolate and melt, stirring until smooth.
• Whisk eggs and sugar in a large bowl to blend.
• Mix in flour.
• Stir in warm chocolate and pour into pan.
• Set springform pan into a larger baking pan and pour enough boiling water in baking pan to come ½ inch up sides of cake.
• Bake until top is firm and toothpick inserted in center come out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 1 hour.
• Remove from water and cool completely.
• Transfer to platter; release pan sides.
• Serve with whipped cream.
• (a few choice raspberries wouldn’t be totally out of place here either.).

Steps:

• Butter and flour six 6-ounce (2-inch-deep) ramekins.
• Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler or a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Meanwhile, whisk together eggs and sugar until pale and thick, about 4 minutes. Sift flour and salt into another bowl.
• Fold egg mixture into chocolate mixture. Immediately fold in flour mixture. Divide batter evenly among ramekins, filling each three-quarters full. Transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake until just set, 14 to 16 minutes. Let cool for 3 minutes. Turn out cakes onto plates.