Description
Rich chocolate cake from Barefoot Contessa delivers intense cocoa depth with silky ganache. Dark chocolate lovers will savor each luxurious, deeply satisfying slice.
Ingredients
Scale
- 210 g (7.4 oz) unsalted butter
- 200 g (7.1 oz) bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa solids)
- 4 large eggs
- 200 g (7.1 oz) caster sugar
- 35 g (1.2 oz) plain flour
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp instant coffee granules (Nescafé)
- Sweetened whipped cream
- Vanilla ice cream
- Crème fraîche
Instructions
- Equipment Preparation: Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F), positioning rack centrally. Generously butter and flour a 20-centimeter springform pan, eliminating excess flour.
- Chocolate Melting: Construct a double boiler using a heatproof bowl over simmering water. Melt chocolate and butter together, stirring until achieving a glossy, smooth consistency. Allow mixture to cool briefly.
- Batter Formation: Whisk sugar into the chocolate base, integrating thoroughly. Gradually fold in eggs, maintaining smooth texture. Incorporate coffee granules and salt, creating a silky, homogeneous mixture.
- Flour Integration: Delicately sift flour over chocolate mixture, folding gently with a rubber spatula. Blend until flour is just combined, avoiding overmixing to preserve cake’s light texture.
- Baking Process: Pour batter into prepared pan, evening the surface. Position pan on a rimmed baking sheet for stability. Bake 35-45 minutes until top appears puffy with slight cracking and center remains slightly soft. The cake will naturally settle and deflate during cooling.
- Serving Presentation: After cooling 15-20 minutes, carefully loosen cake edges with a thin knife. Release springform sides and transfer to serving plate. Accompany with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, or crème fraîche for an elegant dessert experience.
Notes
- Chocolate Selection Matters: Use high-quality bittersweet chocolate between 60-70% cocoa for rich, deep flavor complexity.
- Prevent Egg Scrambling: Temper eggs by adding them slowly and whisking continuously to maintain smooth chocolate mixture.
- Master the Mixing Technique: Fold flour gently with a rubber spatula, stopping just when ingredients combine to preserve light, tender cake texture.
- Baking Time Precision: Check cake at 35 minutes – slight center wobble indicates perfect doneness, preventing dry or overcooked results.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 380 kcal
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 28 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 34 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 130 mg