Bittersweet Chocolate Cake Recipes

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:

• 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 degrees. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment rounds; butter parchment. Stir together boiling water, cocoa, and chocolate in a bowl. Let cool 10 minutes. Whisk together flour, baking powder and soda, and salt in another bowl.
• In a mixing bowl, beat butter with sugar on medium-high until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, scraping down sides of bowl. Beat in vanilla, then chocolate mixture. Reduce speed to low; beat in flour mixture in two additions, alternating with sour cream, until just combined.
• Divide batter evenly between prepared pans, smoothing tops with an offset spatula. Bake until a tester inserted in centers comes out with moist crumbs attached, 35 to 40 minutes.
• Let cakes cool in pans on a wire rack 20 minutes. Turn out onto rack, top-sides up; let cool completely. With a serrated knife, trim tops of cakes so they're level.
• Line the edges of a cake stand or plate with strips of parchment. Place one cake layer on stand, trimmed-side up, and spread 1 1/2 cups buttercream evenly over top. Top with remaining cake layer, trimmed-side down.
• Spread a thin layer of buttercream over top and sides. Refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes (this ensures a crumb-free finish). Spread remaining frosting evenly over top and sides. Cake can be stored in refrigerator up to 1 day; bring to room temperature before serving.

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:

• Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F.
• Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper, butter the paper.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the chocolate and butter.
• Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the chocolate and butter are melted.
• Gently whisk until smooth.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the cognac.
• Let cool.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the sugar until well blended.
• Stir in the melted chocolate mixture.
• In the 4 1/2-quart bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer, using the wire whip attachment, beat the egg whites at medium speed until frothy.
• Increase the speed to medium-high and beat the egg whites until soft peaks start to form.
• One tablespoon at a time, beat in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar.
• Continue beating until the egg whites are stiff but not dry.
• Using a large rubber spatula, gently fold the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture in 3 additions.
• Do not overmix.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake until the cake is puffed and a tester inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer the pan to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes.
• Using a small sharp knife, cut around the sides of the cake to loosen it.
• Release the panside.
• Invert the cake onto a wire rack.
• Peel off the parchment paper and cool the cake completely.
• Wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight.
• Make the chocolate glaze.
• Place the chocolate in a medium bowl.
• In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a gentle boil.
• Using a wire whisk, stir 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.
• Assemble the cake.
• Remove the cake from the refrigerator and remove the plastic wrap from the cake.
• Place the cake on a wire rack set over a baking sheet.
• Using a metal spatula, spread the raspberry preserves evenly over the top and sides of the cake.
• Pour the chocolate glaze over the cake, covering it completely; spread evenly with a metal spatula.
• Drizzle the top of the glazed cake with the melted milk chocolate.
• Serve the cake immediately, or refrigerate.
• Bring the cake to room temperature before serving.

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.