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La Bete Noire




Source of Recipe


Jason Aronen, Executive Chef at Wilde Roast Café, Minneapolis in Bon Appetit Magazine, September 2006


Recipe Introduction


“The Black Beast”. Bon Appetit says of this flourless chocolate cake, “Just one bite of this amazingly fudgy, impossibly creamy, positively addicting cake is proof positive of the healing power of chocolate.” You must use very, very good chocolate because that is basically what you are tasting. I used Merckens and it was delicious. This is a very impressive dessert, but very easy to make – no difficult technique involved!


List of Ingredients




CAKE:
1 c. water
¾ c. sugar

9 T. sweet butter, diced
18 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
6 large eggs

GANACHE:
1 c. heavy whipping cream
8 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

Lightly sweetened whipped cream


Recipe



CAKE:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 10” springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper; butter parchment. Wrap 3 layers of heavy-duty foil around outside of pan, bringing foil to the top of rim. Combine 1 c. water and sugar in small saucepan. Bring t a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat.

Melt butter in 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.

GANACHE:
Bring whipping cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whish until smooth. Pour over top of cake still in pan. Gently shake pan to distribute ganache evenly over tip of cake. Refrigerate cake in pan until ganache is set, about 2 hours.

Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake; release sides. Cut cake into wedges and serve with whipped cream.

Serves 16.

Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.