DECADENT CHOCOLATE CAKE

FOR THE CAKE:

Ingredients:

2/3 cup finely ground pecans (or walnuts)

¼ cup all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

12 plump moist prunes, pitted if necessary and cut into bits (I used dried moist prunes)

¼ cup plus 3 Tbsp water

¼ cup brandy

7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used Premium baking chips)

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

3 large eggs, separated, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

FOR THE GLAZE:

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 375 F. Bake this cake on a rack in the center of the oven. Butter an 8-inch springform pan, fit the bottom of the pan with a round of parchment or wax paper and butter the paper as well as the sides of the springform pan. Lightly dust the inside of the pan with flour and tap out the excess. Put the pan on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat.

TO MAKE THE CAKE:

Whisk together the finely ground nuts, flour and salt. Put the prunes and ¼ cup of water in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook, being careful not to scorch the fruit, until the water almost evaporates. Pull the pan from the heat and pour in the Brandy, stand back and set it aflame. (If it’s more convenient, you can flame and steep the prunes up to 1 day ahead. Pack the prunes and their liquid into a covered jar and keep at room temperature.)

Combine the chocolate, butter and the remaining 3 tablespoons water in a heatproof bowl, set it over a pan of simmering water and stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are melted; or do this in a microwave oven. Remove the chocolate from the heat just as soon as it is melted and not very hot, you don’t want the chocolate and butter to separate.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until thick and pale, about 2 minutes. Switch to a rubber spatula and, one by one, stir in the chocolate and butter mixture, the nut mixture, and the prunes with any liquid.

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold firm, glossy peaks, Stir about one quarter of the beaten whites into the chocolate mixture, then gently fold in the remaining whites, Turn the batter into the pan.

Bake the cake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until it is puffed, firm on top and starting to come ever so slightly away from the sides of the pan; a think knife inserted into the center will come out streaky, the cake should not be wet, but you don’t want it to be completely dry. Transfer the cake to a rack and let it cool for about 10 minutes, then carefully remove the sides of the pan. Invert the cake, pull off the paper and turn right side up to cool to room temperature. The cake should be absolutely cool before you glaze it.

GLAZING THE CAKE: If the cake has crowned, use a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to even the top.  (Instead of cutting off the top of the cake, I flipped the cake over using the cooling  rack and a baking sheet.  The side of the cake with the parchment paper was perfectly flat. I then slid the cake back onto the cooling rack to frost placing the baking sheet under the rack to catch any glaze while icing the cake.)

TO MAKE THE GLAZE: Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, or in a microwave oven. Remove it from the heat and, using a small spatula, stir in the sugar, then the butter, a bit at a time, stirring until you have a smooth glaze.

Have a long metal icing spatula, pour the glaze over the top of the cake, allowing the excess to run down the sides, and use the spatula to smooth the top of the cake if necessary. Be sure to spread the icing over the sides of the cake. Let the glaze set at room temperature or, if you want to speed it up, slide the cake into the refrigerator for about 20 minutes.

Those of you that know me know I am not a chocolate lover unless it is dark and bitter. I’m also not a cake fan yet this one had me coming back for more. If you like dense, rich, moist cake, this one is for you. Many of you will think it strange that prunes are part of the recipe yet they are used in many desserts to keep the cake moist. I would blend the prunes next time as I didn’t care for the texture. My friend Kate asked if I had added coconut. Despite the strangeness of prunes in a chocolate dessert, most everyone gobbled it up. This is the perfect cake to serve when you’re having company or want to indulge.

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