Posted by: Angel 09-05-99 8:04 PM
Killer Fudge Cake
Cake:
6 ounces (1½ sticks) unsalted butter
6 ounces unsweetened baker's chocolate
6 large eggs
3 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
11/2 cups all-purpose flour
Icing:
11/2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons instant coffee
1 cup heavy cream
5 ounces unsweetened baker's chocolate
4 ounces unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Chopped toasted pecans or walnuts for decoration
Prepare cake: In top of a double boiler, over hot water, melt 1 1/2 sticks of butter with 6 ounces of unsweetened chocolate.
When this is melted, remove it from heat and transfer mixture to a mixing bowl to cool to room temperature.
While chocolate and butter are cooling, lightly butter bottoms of two 9-inch round cake pans and line bottoms with parchment baking paper.
Preheat oven to 350º F.
When chocolate is cool, add eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla and whisk together until well combined.
Stir in flour and pour batter into prepared baking pans and bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick, when inserted in middle, comes out clean.
Remove cakes from oven and cool them in pans for 30 minutes.
With a knife, loosen edges of each of cakes from pans and turn them out onto a cake rack
to cool completely.
Prepare Icing: While cakes are baking, prepare icing.
In a small saucepan combine sugar, instant coffee and heavy cream.
Bring this to a boil, and boil gently for 6 minutes.
Remove from heat and add unsweetened chocolate.
After chocolate has melted, add butter and vanilla and cool to room temperature.
Assemble cake: Set one of cakes top side up on a plate and cover with a bit of icing.
Set second layer upside down so bottom is facing up and ice top and sides.
Pat chopped nuts onto sides of cake and center some in middle of top layer.
Refrigerate remaining icing until firm.
Transfer icing to a piping bag fitted with a rosette tip and pipe rosettes around edges.
Store cake in refrigerator, but bring it back to room temperature before serving.