From: ph14@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu (Pei Hsieh)
Subject: RECIPE(S): Chocolate Decadence, among others
Organization: Columbia University
Date: Thu, 19 Nov 1992 01:06:28 GMT

Cakes that requite passions for chocolate:

Chocolate Decadent Cake (taken w/o permission from the Open Hand Cookbook)
=======================
(a word of warning: this cake is _really_ intense!)
12 oz. semisweet chocolate
12 oz. unsweetened chocolate
4 oz. unsalted butter
1 3/4 c. sugar
1/2 c. water
7 eggs
1 c. heavy cream, whipped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cut chocolate and butter into small pieces
in bowl.  Bring 1 1/2 c. sugar and water to boil in saucepan.  Stir into
chocolate-butter mixture until melted.  Beat 1/4 c. sugar and eggs until
twice in height.  Add into chocolate mixture.  Pour into 10-inch buttered 
cake pan lined with paper.  Place cake pan on sheet pan with 1-inch deep
water and bake like a cheesecake.  Bake 40-50 min. until cake sets.
Refrigerate until serving time.  To remove, place in warm water and cut
along sides.

The following is a mousse cake:

Double Chocolate Threat (taken w/o permission from the New York Times)
=======================
(this is a mousse cake)
1/3 c. unsalted butter
2 squares unsweetened chocolate
1 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten well
2/3 c. unbleached flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
Chocolate mousse filling (see below)
1 c. heavy cream, for frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour an 8- or 9-inch square
baking pan.  Set aside.  Melt butter and chocolate over low heat or in 
the top of a double boiler over hot water.  Remove from heat, add sugar
and eggs, mix well.  Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.  
Stir into the chocolate mixture.  Add the vanilla and pour the mixture
into the prepared pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until
cake is baked but still very moist.  Then cool.  Remove the cake from 
the pan and cut into strips wide enough so they can line most of the
side of a 2-quart souffle dish or charlotte mold.  Cut strips through
center to separate into two thinner halves.  Lin the bottom and sides of
diesh with the strips.  Don't worry about piecing; the spaces won't show.
Spoon the mousse filling into the cake-lined dish.  Wrap the dish well, 
and chill overnight in the fridge or freezer.  To serve, first defrost the
cake, if frozen.  Remove it from the pan, first loosening the sides with a
knife, then dipping the pan partly into hot water to loosen the cake so it 
can be turned outonto a serving plate.  Whip the cup of heavy cream until
stiff and decorate top and parts of sides with cream.  Serve in small slices.

Chocolate Mousse Filling (good by itself too! :-))
------------------------
1 1/2 pounds semisweet chocolate
1/2 c. strong coffee
3 eggs, separated
1/2 c. coffee liqueur
1/2 c. heavy cream

Melt the chocolate with the coffee over low heat or in top of double boiler
over hot water.  Remove from heat.  Beat the yolks until pale in color, and
stir them into chocolate.  Stir in the coffee liqueur.  Cool.  Beat egg
whites until stiff but not dry.  Whip 1/2 c. cream until stiff.  Fold the
whites an the cream into the chocolate mixture.
Yield: 12 servings.


Le Diabolo (recipe originally from a Simca Beck cookbook)
==========
Chocolate Cake Glazed With Chocolate Butter Cream
(This cake is small, elegant, rich, dense, chocolatey and goooood!)

3/4 c. sugar
4 eggs, separated
6 oz. German's sweet chocolate, broken into pieces
3/4 cup butter
4 Tbs. cake flour
2 Tbs. almonds, blanched and pulverized
pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Cut a round of waxed paper to fit the bottom of an 8- or 9-inch round 
cake pan.  Butter the sides of the pan and one side of the paper.  Lay
the paper butter side up in the pan and flour the paper and the sides 
of the pan.  Set aside.  Beat the sugar with the 4 egg yolks until they
are a creamy yellow.  Put the chocolate and the butter into a saucepan
over simmering water, and continue stirring over low heat until well 
blended.  Stir in the flour and the pulverized almonds.  Beat the 4
egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff byt not dry.  Stir one
quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighted it; 
then fold all back into the remaining egg whites.  Fill the cake pan
3/4 full and tap gently on the table to distribute the mixture evenly.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, watching carefully, until the outside is solid
and the center still creamy (not runny and not dry) when tested with a
sharp knife.  Let the cake cool before unmolding.  Glaze and decorate
cake.  Refrigerate before serving.

To glaze:
Chocolate butter cream
----------------------
3 1/2 oz. German's sweet chocolate, broken into small pieces
2 to 3 Tbsp. coffee or water
3 Tbsp. butter

Melt the chocolate with the coffee or the water until smooth, remove from
the heat, and stir in the butter.  Pour on top of the chocolate cake,
using a metal spatula (moistened in hot water and dried) to spread.

To decorate:
Use toasted slivered almonds


Chocolate Fudge Cake (taken w/o permission from the NYT magazine)
====================
Bake this cake at least two days before you plan to use it.  The flavor
and texture improve on standing.   It's time-consuming to prepare, but
well worth it!

6 oz. unsweetened chocolate
6 Tbsp. strong-brewed coffee
1 Tbsp.  pure vanilla extract
3/4 pound (3 sticks) butter at room temp.
1 pound dark brown sugar
1 c. granulated sugar
6 large eggs
1 c. sifted all-purpose flour
Confectioner's sugar for decorating
1 c. heavy cream, whipped (optional)

Adjust th rack to the center of the over.  Butter a 10-inch springform
pan.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  In a double boiler, over 
simmering water, melt the chocolate with the coffee.  Remove from heat.  
When slightly cool, stir in the vanilla.  (The melted chocolate and coffee
may form a thick paste, but it incorporates easily into the batter when
added.)  In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter with 
the brown and white sugars until light and fluffy.  Separate the eggs
carefully, placing the whites in a large bowl.  Add the egg yolks one
at a time to the butter-sugar mixture, beating well after each addition.
Add the chocolate mixture to the batter and mix well.  Stir in the flour, 
mixing only until incorporated.  Using clean, dry beaters, beat the egg
whites until stiff and glossy but not dry.  Gently fold the beaten egg
whites into the chocolate mixture, handling them carefully in order not
to deflate the egg whites.  Fold only until no white streaks remain.
Gently turn the batter into the prepared springform pan.  Smooth the top
with a spatula.  Place in the preheated oven, and bake for one hour or
until the top springs back when lightly touched.  Remove the pan from 
the oven and cover the top of the cake with aluminum foil to keep it
from hardening.  Place the pan on a rack to cool.  When completely
cool, store covered in the baking pan until ready to serve.  A plastic
bag, tightly closed provides excellent storage.  *Do not refrigerate!*
At serving time, remove the sides of the springform pan and place the
cake on a 12-inch cake platter.  Dust the top lightly with confectioners'
sugar.  (For a nice effect, you can place a lace doily or stencil on top
of the cake and then dust with the sugar over that.  Carefully remove the
doily or stencil and voila! instant masterpiece!)  Top each portion with 
a dollop of cream.
Yield: 12 servings.

Indulge!

-Pei    (ph14@cunixb.cc.columbia.edu)