World’s Best Chocolate Cake

The perfect birthday for Jeffrey Rosen and everyone else!

Contributor: Heather Elder

Servings
Yields 12 servings

Ingredients
For the cake
• 1 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons, at room temperature and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
• 7 ounces dark chocolate, chopped into 3/4 inch pieces
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant coffee granules, dissolved into 1 1/2 cups of boiling water
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons self-rising flour (see note)
• 1/3 cups Dutch-processed cocoa powder, plus 1 1/2 teaspoons for dusting
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the chocolate ganache (optional)
• 7 ounces dark chocolate, broken or chopped roughly into 3/4-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
For espresso cinnamon mascarpone cream (optional)
• 1 1/2 cups plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 3/4 cup mascarpone
• Scraped seeds of 1/2 vanilla pod
• 2 1/2 teaspoons finely ground espresso
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 1/2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Directions
• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Grease a 9-inch round springform pan with butter and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
• Place butter, chocolate and hot coffee in a large heatproof bowl. Mix well until everything is melted, combined and smooth.
• Whisk in sugar by hand until dissolved.
• Add eggs and vanilla extract and whisk again until thoroughly combined and smooth.
• Sift flour, cocoa powder and salt together into a bowl.
• Whisk flour, cocoa powder and salt into the melted chocolate mixture. The batter should be a liquid.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour, or until the cake is cooked and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean or with just a few dry crumbs attached.
• Top may form a crust a crack a little. It is expected.
• Leave the cake to cool for 20 minutes before removing from pan. Then set aside until completely cool.
• Make chocolate ganache, if desired.
• Place chocolate pieces in a food processor until fine and set aside.
• Combine cream and corn syrup in a small pan and place over medium-high heat.
• As soon as bubbles begin to appear, remove from the heat.
• Get the food processor running again, with the chocolate still inside, and pour in the hot cream in a steady stream.
• Process for 10 seconds, then add butter.
• Continue to process until mixture is shiny and smooth.
• Use a rubber spatula to scrape the ganache into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, with the plastic actually touching the top of the ganache.
• Set aside until it has set to the consistency you want.
• If you want a thin layer to spread over the cake, it can be poured over while liquid so that you get an even, light and shiny coating.
• For a thicker ganache with a spreading consistency, leave it for about 2 hours at room temperature.
• Make the espresso cinnamon mascarpone cream, if desired.
• Place all the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
• Beat for 1 to 2 minutes, until soft peaks form.
• Peel the parchment from the cake and discard.
• Transfer to a serving platter and spread the ganache, if using, on top of the cake.
• Slice into wedges, divide the cake among plates and, if using, spoon the mascarpone cream alongside.

Credit
• Recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi found on cooking.nytimes.com