Halloween is only two weeks away, and after this post there are only two more spooky recipes for this season! It’s hard to believe how quickly this month has gone by, I feel like it’s just started and we’re already over halfway through.
The weather is starting to get a little cooler, and I am very much here for it. I feel like when the weather is cooler I’m always so much more productive. Which means all of those posts that are waiting in my drafts will finally be edited.
I’ve started testing my November recipes, and it looks like we have a pretty good line up. I’m a little behind schedule because I’ve had some crowded weekends where I couldn’t test or film recipes, but I’m hoping some of the upcoming breaks from school will give me some time to catch up.
Describe This Cake to Me
Taste: This cake has a deep and rich dark chocolate flavor, that is perfectly contrasted with a tangy and sweet red wine cherry compote. The slight notes of sweet vanilla in the cake adds the perfect amount of levity to tie the whole dessert together.
Texture: This cake has a dense and fudgy texture that’s a little like a brownie. The cherry compote adds the perfect amount of moisture to it to even out all of the textures perfectly.
Ease: This recipe is a little easier then a classic chocolate cake because it doesn’t require any assembling/decorating. The batter is very simple to throw together and, although the cake is baked with a water bath, it’s not actually very difficult to bake either. The compote is also fairly simple and quick to throw together, although the straining and pureeing it can take a little patience.
What is a Flourless Chocolate Cake?
A flourless chocolate cake is essentially exactly what it sounds like: a chocolate cake without flour. This gives you a very dense and rich cake, almost like a brownie or fudge. It’s batter replaces the flour with cocoa powder, while the butter and eggs provide most of the structure. It’s baked in a water bath to ensure the cake doesn’t become dry or crumbly.
The Compote
This compote, although it may sound fancy, is very quick and simple to throw together. Frozen cherries are cooked down with cornstarch, sugar, cherry liquor, and red wine, before being pureed until smooth. This is a simple recipe but looks and tastes amazing with the rich dark chocolate.
Draculas Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Red Wine Cherry Compote
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 1 pound frozen dark cherries
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon cherry liquor
- 4 Tablespoons red wine
Flourless Chocolate Cake
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- ⅓ cup cocoa powder
- a pinch of salt
- confectioners sugar for topping
Instructions
Start by making the compote
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water. In a large saucepan, stir together the frozen dark cherries, granulated sugar, cherry liquor, red wine, and cornstarch mixture. Heat the mixture on medium heat until it begins to boil, stirring frequently and trying to break up some of the cherries as they cook. Once the mixture reaches boiling, continue to cook for another 2 minutes or so, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool completely in the pan.
- Once cool, you can puree the mixture in a food processor until smooth and pourable. This is an optional step, but it makes it look a little more like "blood". Store the compote in a sealed glass container in the refrigerator while we make the cake.
Make the cake
- In a large, microwave safe mixing bowl, melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each, until the mixture is completely melted and smooth. Let the mixture cool in the bowl for around 5 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Grease and line an 8 inch round cake pan with butter and a parchment paper round. Then, grease the parchment paper. This cake is very prone to sticking, so this is very important. Set aside.
- To the slightly cooled chocolate mixture, whisk in the sugar and vanilla extract until combined. Then, whisk in the eggs one at a time until smooth and combined. As you add the eggs the mixture may look a little split, but once you mix in the last egg it should be smooth and glossy. Finally, whisk in the cocoa powder and salt. The batter should be thick, tacky, and shiny. Pour/spread the batter into the previously prepared cake pan.
- Place a large metal baking dish on the bottom rack of the oven and fill roughly 2 inches up with boiling water. Place the cake on the center rack and bake for 30-35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out mostly clean. The water bath on the bottom of the oven ensures a moist and fudgy cake.
- Let the cake cool completely in the pan before decorating.
Decorate and serve the cake
- Remove the cake from the pan and place on a serving plate/cake stand bottom up. The top of the cake should have cracks on it, so place it bottom up to create a smooth surface. Place a piece of parchment cut into the shape of a bat on the center of the cake (I moisten mine with water to make it stay). Using a sieve, sift confectioners sugar all over the cake. Carefully remove the bat stencil to reveal the design.
- Slice and serve the cake with a generous spoonful of the compote. I recommend smaller slices because this is a very rich cake. Cake stays fresh sealed in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. The compote lasts for up to 1 week sealed in an airtight container in the refrigerator.