Servings: 8-10
Preheat: 350°
Source: Fine Cooking, Winter 2004 p. 18b
I get the best results stirring this batter with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. This cake is delicious on its own but even better topped with ganache.
Ingredients
4½ ounces (1 cup) all-purpose flour
1 ounce ( ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch processed)
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon table salt
4 ounces (½ cup) unsalted butter, melted and warm
1¼ cups packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup hot water
1 cup warm ganache (optional; see the recipe below)
Directions
Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom of an 8×2- or 9×2-inch round cake pan or line it with parchment.
In a small bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Sift only if the cocoa remains lumpy after whisking. In a large bowl, combine the melted butter and brown sugar with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Add the eggs and vanilla; stir until well blended. Add the flour mixture all at once and stir just until all the flour is moistened. Pour the hot water over the batter; stir just until it’s incorporated and the batter is smooth. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes for a 9-inch pan; 35 to 40 minutes for an 8-inch pan. Let cool in the pan on a rack for 1 0 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge and invert the cake (peel off the parchment if necessary). Invert it again onto the rack and let cool completely.
Once cool, set the rack over a baking sheet or foil. Pour the warm ganache over the cake and use an icing spatula to spread it over the top of the cake and down the sides. Let set for about an hour before serving.
Ganache
Yields 1½ cups.
You’ll have a bit of this ganache left over after icing the cake; use it as a sauce for ice cream or another dessert. It keeps for a week in the refrigerator. Rewarm gently.
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream; more as needed
Granulated sugar (optional)
Put the chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk gently until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. (if using a 70% bittersweet chocolate, the ganache might be a bit thick; add more cream, a tablespoon at a time, to thin it. You might also want to add a couple of teaspoons of sugar when you add the hot cream.)