Comments on: La Bete Noire or Flourless Chocolate Cake

By: theteachercooks

theteachercooks — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:18:04 +0000

Mike, let me know how it turns out.

By: Mike Melisky

Mike Melisky — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 21:16:59 +0000

Maybe I’ll scoop one out and see if the ganache stays on. Then if not at least I can put it back and cover the cake and no one will know;)

By: theteachercooks

theteachercooks — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:51:29 +0000

Mike, The cake is a very thick consistency and probably will hold up when scooped. The ganache takes a while to set. Try it and let me know. I love this cake!

By: Mike Melisky

Mike Melisky — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 00:49:54 +0000

I plan to make this for New Year’s Eve. I made it a long time ago but this time I’m thinking of using a melon baller or small ice cream scoop after it’s done to make it into balls. Then I would use a toothpick and dip it into the ganache, I have a few question I could use some advice on.
1. Would the cake hold it shape if I do this?
2. Can I use the extra that is left after I make all the balls? Would they be able to be formed into balls? I can’t recall the exact texture.
3. Would the ganache stay on or would it just pool up at the bottom of the ball?
Any advice or suggestions is appreciated. Thanks

By: cathy s.

cathy s. — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 05:24:48 +0000

I can’t imagine using Baker’s unsweetened baking chocolate, as shown in the illustration, for this recipe. Admitedly, I have not tried it, but I am a very experienced baker, and don’t think the sugar syrup is sweet enough to compensate for the unsweetened bitter chocolate for most people’s taste. The recipe calls for BITTERSWEET which is NOT the same as unsweetened, or SEMI-SWEET which is the same sweetness as Nestle’s chocolate chips. Personally, I use a combination of half bittersweet and half semisweet in the cake, and all bittersweet in the ganache for a little contrast. Also, add about 1 TB of coffee, and a small dash of salt, when whisking in the syrup into the chocolate and butter. As for Perplexed, regarding presentation and service, I usually slip a long narrow spatula under the parchment to slide it off the bottom of the spring-form pan, and the parchment stays attached to the cake. I don’t see any other way to manage it. The parchment then stays on the service plate when you cut out the slices. Serve with whipped cream and fresh raspberries. YUM!!

By: Kris

Kris — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 15:23:40 +0000

HI Teach!
I am absolutely IN LOVE with this decadent masterpiece but have a small, and probably silly, issue I am hoping you can help with.
How the heck do I remove the bottom of the pan and the parchment once the cake is done? I don’t want to turn it over and ruin the glass-like ganache top. I ended up just leaving the bottom of the springform pan on the cake and it didn’t interfer with serving it but for a nicer presentation, I would like to remove it.
I am perplexed! HELP!

By: lauren bowman

lauren bowman — Mon, 23 May 2011 15:03:54 +0000

i learned with can be made 2 days ahead.

By: alyssa baldwin

alyssa baldwin — Mon, 23 May 2011 14:55:41 +0000

This cake looks soooooo good, I think im going to have to go home and make this one.

By: Gifty

Gifty — Mon, 23 May 2011 13:59:19 +0000

i was quite pleased when i saw the recipe called for a ganache , that one of my absolute favorite things about chocolate! Im not the baking type but this recipe looks quite simple so i cant mess this up!

By: Sweet Tooth « music, poetry, arts [transcribed]

Sweet Tooth « music, poetry, arts [transcribed] — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 03:15:33 +0000

[...] to Steve’s mom, I have a delicious recipe for La Bête Noire – a flourless chocolate cake. It is the best chocolate cake I have ever tasted. In fact, [...]