Monday, January 23, 2017

Chocolate Cake : Pastel de Chocolate

Chocolate cake with Mexican flair? Si, por favor! This recipe, adapted from 1,000 Mexican Recipes by Marge Poore, makes one 9-inch round cake that is moist and flavorful. Additionally, it is mixed in a food processor, which is quick and easy.

Ingredients

3/4 cup AP flour
1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder (aluminum-free stuff brings better flavor to baked goods, IMO)
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
One 4-ounce bar of Ghirardelli 60% Cacao chocolate, chopped into pieces
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup boiling water
3 large eggs (I like organic eggs)
1/4 cup best unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla (I make my own; you?)


Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan, and then line the bottom with parchment paper. In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon).

Have the boiling water at the ready. Place the chocolate and sugar in the bowl of a food processor and then pulse until the chocolate is very fine. While the processor is running, pour the hot water through the feed tube, keeping the processor on until the chocolate melts. Turn the processor off, add the three eggs, and then process for 20 seconds. After scraping the bowl, add the butter, sour cream and vanilla. Again, process for 20 seconds. Add the flour mixture and pulse until the ingredients are just mixed, 7 or 8 times.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and then bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes. A cake tester inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean when the cake is done.

Allow the baked cake to cool on a rake for 5 minutes. Remove it from the pan and then continue cooling the cake on the rake.

Frost with your favorite chocolate icing after the cake is cool.

Enjoy!