Smitten Kitchen Tiny Chocolate Cake

Well it seems I forgot I had a blog. Thankfully a blogger friend of mine reminded me late this week. And I promised her I would update. 

Truthfully I have not wanted to blog lately. I have been "in a mood" with all the negative inference that comes with that word "mood". 

In the last few months since my last post the following has happened: 

• I mistakenly tried to adopt a dog. Lesson learned I am not ready for that. 
• I learned that while comfortably wrapped in a down blanket I resemble a bald and bearded version of Moana's grandmother. 
• I have continued to foster unhealthy unrequited feeling for others. 
• I have become best friends with my Amazon Echo. I call her "Computer". And know that when watching old episodes of Star Trek she becomes very confused every time Captain Picard speaks. 
• I started the new year off with a nice cold that continues to linger. I fear my neighbor thinks I'm dying. 
• I have invested heavily in a vast selection of creams and lotions (and not for anything fun like alone time) because this dry weather has decided to give me intense all over body itching that I am sure has nothing to do with stress. 
• I maybe dropped my toddler nephew in a snow bank while attempting to teach him how to sled. And before you ask, he's fine. He continues to scream "NO" every time he sees me on FaceTime. 
• I've taken to pretending that Busy Philips and Orlando Soria are speaking directly to me while I watch their Instagram stories. So far I have not started talking back. But that might happen. Soon.  
• I was given a pretty severe Come To Jesus about my career choices in a parking lot by a good friend. I thanked her. 
• I became one with my wing back while watching 4 Harry Potter movies in a row. And ugly crying at the end. Admitting that I am late to the HP game.
• And today I learn that my oven needs to be recalibrated. As you can see by the poorly baked cake that never saw its potential but will still be eaten. 

Not all is lost this year. We've only just begun. A new day is just one sleep away. And I got to have cake for breakfast. One must always ask oneself, "What would Oprah do?". Then make your move. 

Happy baking. I'm going to gym. Maybe.  

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Tiny But Intense Chocolate Cake

RECIPE BY SMITTEN KITCHEN

INGREDIENTS

For cake:

6 tablespoons (85 grams, or 3/4 stick) butter, plus more for pan

4 ounces (115 grams) semisweet chocolate

3 large eggs, separated

1/3 cup (65 grams) light brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon fine or flaky sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C (fan 160°C/gas mark 4). Line a 15cm round springform tin with a circle of parchment paper. Generously butter sides of pan and parchment round.

2. In a small saucepan, melt your butter over medium heat, stirring for even cooking. After the butter melts, it will then hiss and spatter a bit as the water cooks off, and then fragrant brown bits will form at the bottom of the saucepan. The whole process will take about 3 mins. Quickly remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate until it is melted and smooth. Cool the chocolate mixture to lukewarm, a process that can be sped up by trans­ferring the mixture from the hot saucepan to a small bowl set in a puddle of cold or ice water. If quick-cooling the chocolate like this, be sure to stir it every minute or two for even cooling.

3. With an electric mixer, beat egg yolks, brown sugar, and vanilla together until the mixture thickens and takes on a, frankly, kind of icky pale-yellow­ brown color. Slowly beat in the lukewarm chocolate mixture, and a pretty color will return. The mixture will become very thick but will loosen signifi­cantly once we add the egg whites.

4. Wipe clean, wash, and dry your electric beater(s), and beat egg whites and salt in a separate bowl until firm peaks form. Add a pinch of cinnamon, if desired. Stir one-third of egg-white mixture into chocolate mixture. Fold the remaining two-thirds in gently, trying to keep the batter as light as pos­sible. Pour into prepared pan, and bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 min­s, or until it is puffed with a lovely dome on top (which you shouldn't get too attached to) and a tester or skewer comes out clean or with just a couple crumbs attached.

5. To serve, let cool on rack for 10 mins - it will immediately begin to sink in the middle - then run a knife around the cake to make sure it's not stuck to the pan, and release the springform sides. Let it cool the rest of the way on its base. Once it's cool, flip out onto a plate or second rack, remove parchment round (if it's stuck) from the bottom, and flip cake back onto a small plate. To serve, beat whipping cream with granulated sugar until soft peaks form. Dust cake with icing sugar and dollop with whipped cream and berries.

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FOR MORE CAKE SHHENANIGANS CHECK OUT THESE PREVIOUS BLOG POSTS

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POPPING MY CRAWFISH CHERRY IN BOSTON

EXTENDING DIPLOMATIC WARM FUZZIES WITH A BATTENBERG CAKE

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