If there was one word to describe this cake that we made for our fortnightly 'TWD: Baking with Julia' bake-together, it would be 'wicked'!! So wicked is this decadent, chocolate cake, that it has the power to evoke the seven cardial sins - gluttony, lust, greed, envy, sloth, pride and wrath!
In fact such is the intensity of chocolate in this cake, that it is called 'boca negra' or 'black mouth', because as Dorie Greenspan writes, that is what you'll be left with after a bite of this cake.
This cake is paired with a white chocolate bourbon cream in the book. While the cream sounded divine, it felt a bit over the top for this rich dessert. I went instead with a strawberry coulis to help cut through the richness of this cake.
The entire process went through smoothly. There is no leavening agent in this cake, so the cake does not rise. At the end of the baking process, you will have a dense, glossy, chocolate layer that has a thin, delicate, crispy top. When taken out of the oven, it will look very fragile but is in fact, quite resilient. I feared it would break when inverted out onto a plate, straight from the oven. Surprisingly, there wasn't an issue there.
This cake is best described, as a chocolate tart without a tart shell. Chocolate is all you will taste, so keep that in mind when deciding on the chocolate you use. I thought I would taste the bourbon but I couldn't taste any. The cake is dark, creamy, not too sweet and the kind that will leave you in a chocolate haze.
Not surprisingly, this is a rich cake and a small wedge goes a long way. This makes it ideal for a large group. This is a dessert cake that has no option but to be a crowd pleaser. Because as Mae West said, "To sin is human - but it feels divine"!
Due to copyright considerations, only the person hosting the recipe for the group 'TWD:Baking with Julia' can post the recipe on their blog. The recipe for this Boca Negra will be available on Cathy's blog. Alternately, you can write to me at bakerindisguise@gmail.com and I will mail you the recipe
This cake has been conceptualised for the chocolate lover and it is ridiculously easy to make. It is all about melting copious amounts of chocolate with a bourbon sugar syrup, melting butter into it, whisking in some eggs and then, folding in the tiniest amount of flour. I made half the recipe and went with a smaller tin.
This cake is paired with a white chocolate bourbon cream in the book. While the cream sounded divine, it felt a bit over the top for this rich dessert. I went instead with a strawberry coulis to help cut through the richness of this cake.
The entire process went through smoothly. There is no leavening agent in this cake, so the cake does not rise. At the end of the baking process, you will have a dense, glossy, chocolate layer that has a thin, delicate, crispy top. When taken out of the oven, it will look very fragile but is in fact, quite resilient. I feared it would break when inverted out onto a plate, straight from the oven. Surprisingly, there wasn't an issue there.
This cake is best described, as a chocolate tart without a tart shell. Chocolate is all you will taste, so keep that in mind when deciding on the chocolate you use. I thought I would taste the bourbon but I couldn't taste any. The cake is dark, creamy, not too sweet and the kind that will leave you in a chocolate haze.
Not surprisingly, this is a rich cake and a small wedge goes a long way. This makes it ideal for a large group. This is a dessert cake that has no option but to be a crowd pleaser. Because as Mae West said, "To sin is human - but it feels divine"!
Due to copyright considerations, only the person hosting the recipe for the group 'TWD:Baking with Julia' can post the recipe on their blog. The recipe for this Boca Negra will be available on Cathy's blog. Alternately, you can write to me at bakerindisguise@gmail.com and I will mail you the recipe
Mine came out as a pudding more than a cake. It looks great with strawberry! A much better sidekick that more chocolate.
ReplyDeleteI read about the white chocolate cream..and its just seemed too much.. and then while making the cake.. working with all that chocolate.. its just seemed excessive to have it with more chooclate!! I wonder why yours cracked though..
DeleteMine was like Paula's but yours looks perfect! Love the strawberry sauce...so yummy!
ReplyDeleteThe strawberry was a good choice.. really helped cut through the richness!!
DeleteThe strawberry coulis sounds wonderful! A great idea for a spring dessert! Perhaps, Mother's Day??? Kristine Mika
ReplyDeleteOh it would be a great spring dessert.. unfortunately in India, we get strawberries now.. and they will be gone in a few days,...so making the most of then while the stocks last!!
DeleteI like the idea of the strawberry coulis (and maybe a bit of ice cream too!). The white chocolate cream was a bit much for me...but other than that I loved this cake. Especially straight out of the freezer.
ReplyDeleteI agree.. a teeny bit of ice-cream would have been good.. was just too lazy to pop over to the store to buy some..
DeleteI love the contrast of the dark cake with the strawberry coulis -- very attractive!
ReplyDeleteThanks Chris!
DeleteLove the coulis idea! When I had a piece the second day I cut up some strawberries onto the white chocolate cream and agree that the fruit definitely helped to balance the richness. Your photos are beautiful!
ReplyDeleteThank you!! :)) The strawberries were a good choice.. slightly tart they helped cut through the richness of the cake..
DeleteYour photos make the cake look so tempting!Love the idea of the coulis.
ReplyDeleteThanks Karen!
DeleteWow, that looks terrific with the strawberry coulis! Nice job!
ReplyDeleteThanks Sara!!
DeleteOh, I bet this was great with strawberry! The white bourbon cream was good, too.
ReplyDeleteI definitely want to try the white bourbon cream.. it sounded divine!
DeleteThe cake looks so wonderful. The strawberry coulis make the cake stand out
ReplyDeleteIt was nandita.. it was!! quite the chocolate lovers dream!
DeleteYour cake looks decadent and luscious! Yum!
ReplyDeleteThank you!! :))
DeleteYour cake looks great - especially with the strawberry coulis. I had some issues with unmolding but it turned out all right in the end!
ReplyDeleteI think quite a few people had issues unmoulding.. i think one needs to wait a bit rather than unmoulding straight from the oven!
DeleteSo very beautiful! I puréed some very tart raspberries which definitely helped with the richness of this cake. I enjoyed the white chocolate cream - not as heavy as I was expecting.
ReplyDeleteOh really.. I just thought the white chocolate would get a bit too cloying.. maybe I just go to try and figure it for myself!
DeleteGorgeous photography, Sarvani. A beautiful combination with the dark, rich chocolate and the bright red strawberries. Will be making our cake sometime in the future.
ReplyDeleteThanks!! Would love to see yours.. although the gluten content in this cake is just one tbsp.. so that should be easy to replace..
DeleteIt is indeed a wicked cake!!! I loved it! And your pics are wicked too! They all look fabulous! Well done. Love the strawberries and coulis!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!!
DeleteThe strawberry topping looks heavely. This dessert really did need something fruity to cut through the chocolate.
ReplyDeleteLovely job
Thanks Cher.. I almost always pair a rich chocolate cake with a strawberry coulis.. the pairing just works well..
DeleteI love your description! Also, the strawberry coulis looks marvelous with it!
ReplyDeleteAgree the vibrancy of the strawberries photographs so well.. :))
DeleteSarvani, quite a pretty presentation with the lovely red strawberry sauce and the fresh strawberries - the photos are vibrant and colorful, just wonderful!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much Andrea!! :)
DeleteLove the strawberry coulis... I used dried strawberries in syrup, and rose petals, they were less rich than the chocolate cream, and I preferred a fruitier topping.
ReplyDeleteDried strawberries and rose petals.. thats so interesting.. I've got to see this!!
DeleteI had a complete flop on my hands! I don't know where I went wrong, but the cake was definitely a soft pudding and did not stay together as I flipped. Regardless, it was sooooo delicious!
ReplyDeleteI'd planned to serve ours with strawberries as well. Love the combo!
You know Dawn, the more I think of it, the reason why many people got a soft pudding.. was because the recipe said to invert the cake right away instead, I waited for ten minutes before I inverted it, that probably gave the chocolate some time to set a little, instead of being flowy when it is hot!
DeleteHoly cow, your strawberry coulis looks divine! The white chocolate cream was delicious but I think your coulis would be a terrific combination.
ReplyDeleteHaha.. thanks!!! it was good!
DeleteStrawberryy coulis with this one sounds wonderful! It would definitely lighten it up a little. Looks good!
ReplyDeleteThank you.. it definitely helped cut through the richness of the cake!!
DeleteOhhh another stunner from your kitchen.. loved the contrast of colours, a classic and full proof combination of strawberries n chocolates ... superb!
ReplyDeleteThank you thank you Gauri!! I simply love strawberries.. so while they are in season.. have been trying to sneak them into each post of mine!! :)
DeleteOh my Saravani!
ReplyDeleteThis looks heavenly! and with the drizzled strawberry sauce it is irresistable to say the least!
Haha.. I know sawsan.. it was quite an insane cake.. it was chocolate heaven!!
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