use real butter

Lately a lot of folks have been experiencing dessert fiascos (Carrie’s neoclassic buttercream, Nicole’s lemon tart, and Elena’s I don’t know what). Not to be left out, I have one of my own tonight in progress. I was enticed by Julia’s (Child, of course) recipe for Boca Negra – an almost flourless chocolate cake. I even went to the liquor store to buy bourbon for this recipe.

it starts with sugar and bourbon

everything goes as expected up to and including pouring the batter

She says 30 minutes in the water bath. Okay, I do 32 at slightly higher temp because of our elevation. She says a dry crust should appear on the top. It does. She said it will be a little wobbly. I think it was a lot of wobbly. Invert the cake, she says. I invert the cake and it oozes all over the plate. There’s just too much chocolate, butter, and eggs to toss this sucker. I scoop it all back up and dump it back in the pan and send it right back to the oven. If I have to bake it into a brick, I will… *frustrated*

Well, the cake finally set (sort of) after another 40 minutes in the oven. High altitude baking is not as straight forward as I would have thought.

second time around – after being flipped and poured back into the pan

this will require more practice…

February 21st, 2006: 11:59 pm
filed under baking, cake