Dark chocolate is a downfall of mine. I love it! I had rather have a good salad than a bowl of ice cream, but when it comes to dark chocolate I cannot turn it down. This recipe for this sinful Chocolate Cake appeared in Bon Appetit in September 2006. The picture on the front cover looks as if you could take a bite right from the fork. I let the magazine sit for about a year before I decided to tackle it. Why did I wait so long, I am asking myself now. The recipe is simple. The ingredients are sugar, water, chocolate, butter , eggs and heavy cream. That’ s it! But it does call for twenty-six ounces of semisweet chocolate! It is a dessert made in heaven. It is not for the weak. Using a 10-in. springform pan it yields sixteen servings. It is not a very large serving, but I am here to tell you after making this four times that most people cannot eat much more. It packs a punch! If you are a chocolate lover like me when you put a bite of this decadent La Bete Noire into your mouth and hits your tastebuds you will think that you have died and gone to heaven. Dark Chocolate heaven, that is.
Here is how to make it for yourself!
La Bete Noire – from Bon Appetit – Jason Aronen, Executive Chef, Wilde Roast Cafe, Mineappolis
16 servings
Cake
- 1 cup water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 9 Tablespoons ( 1 stick + 1 Tablespoon) unsalted butter, diced
- 18 ounces bittersweet chocolate (not sweetened) or semisweeet chocolate, chopped
- 6 large eggs
Ganache
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 8 ounces bittersweet (not sweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
For Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter 10-in-diameter springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment round: butter the parchment paper. Wrap 3 layers of heavy-duty foil around outside of pan, bringing foil to top of rim. Combine 1 cup of water and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Melt butter large saucepan over low heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk sugar syrup into chocolate: cool slightly. Add eggs to chocolate mixture and whisk until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place cake pan in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan.
Bake cake until center no longer moves when pan is gently shaken, about 50 minutes. Remove from water bath; transfer to rack. Cool completely in pan.
For Ganache: Bring whipping cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Pour over top of cake still in pan. Gently shake pan to distribute ganache evenly over top of cake. Refrigerate cake in pan until ganache is set , about 2 hours.
Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.
Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Release sides. Cut cake into wedges and serve with whipped cream.
Here are the photos to make this decadent dessert even easier for you to make at home.
Place water and sugar in saucepan . Boil over medium heat and then let it simmer for 5 min. Remove from heat.
Dice Butter
Chop 18 ounces of bittersweet or semisweet chocolate ( I used Baker's)
Melt butter and stir in chocolate
Whisk sugar syrup into chocolate; cool slightly
Stir in 6 large eggs making sure the chocolate is cool enough . Don't scramble your eggs!
Pour in springform pan. Place in a roasting pan. Add hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up side of cake pan.
Bake for 50 minutes or until center no longer moves when pan is gently shaken. Remove from the water bath. Use the foil as handles to grip the pan.
Take out of the water bath and cool.
After the cake is cool prepare the Ganache .
1 cup of heavy cream and more chocolate ( 8 ounces)
Bring cream to simmer over medium heat and add chocolate and whisk together.
Pour over top of cake while still in pan and refrigerate.
Words cannot tell you how good this is. You will have to try for yourself. It is easy yet so elegant to serve. Go for it if you want a dessert that will be a big hit!
BON APPETIT!!!
Happy cooking,
The Teacher Cooks
I will be the first to tell you that cake made from scratch is the best, but there are times that using a cake mix is a good thing. This orange cake is perfect for the summer. It is cool, light, easy to make, beautiful to look at and very good! What more could you ask for? Make this and everyone will be asking for the recipe. 
The Teacher Cooks 