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Chocolate Honey Cake

Source of Recipe

From "A Southerly Course" by Martha Hall Foose


Recipe Introduction

"Born in 1915 in Shaw, Mississippi, David 'Honeyboy' Edwards won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010. He is perhaps the last of the true Delta Bluesmen. Despite his age he keeps on the road touring the world and flirting with the ladies, crooning his hit, 'Who May Your Regular Be?' This dense chocolate cake covered with bittersweet honey ganache could be just the thing to win over a loved one's heart or to cure the blues of a broken heart."

List of Ingredients

Cake:
â—¦ 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
â—¦ 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
â—¦ ½ cup honey
â—¦ 4 large eggs, separated
â—¦ 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
â—¦ 1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
â—¦ ½ teaspoon baking soda
â—¦ ¼ teaspoon salt

Honey Ganache:
â—¦ 2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
â—¦ 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
â—¦ ½ cup heavy cream
â—¦ 2 tablespoons honey
â—¦ ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Recipe

Make the cake:
Heat the oven to 325° F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper.

In a medium saucepan set over low heat, melt the butter, then stir in the chocolate. Remove the pan from the heat and continue stirring until the chocolate is completely melted. Gradually add the honey, stirring to blend. Lightly beat the egg yolks, then whisk them into the chocolate mixture. Stir in the flour, coffee granules, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold one-quarter of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Fold the lightened chocolate mixture into the remaining whites; do not overmix.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the middle of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and let cool on a wire rack set over a baking sheet.

Make the Honey Ganache:
Put both types of chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan set over medium heat, heat the cream and honey until the mixture just begins to simmer. Immediately pour the hot cream mixture over the chopped chocolate and let it sit undisturbed for 1 minute. Stir until all of the chocolate is melted and completely emulsified. Stir in the vanilla.

Pour the warm ganache over the cake, letting the excess drip over the sides and onto the baking sheet. Let set up for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Makes 1 (9-inch) cake