It’s the second time our favorite Dutch bakery/restaurant, the Veldkeuken, ‘lends’ us one of its beautiful recipes. This time we post this indulgent and lovely chocolate cake. Bake it to spoil yourself or your sweetheart. We couldn’t think of anything better to do on a day like today! Tal’s sister in law, Femke de Winter, who works at the Veldkeuken, took this very appealing picture of the cake. Soon it will feature in a ‘Veldkeuken cookbook’. Can’t wait to have it. Thanks, Femke!
http://www.veldkeuken.nl
Sweet, serves 8
Action Time: 45 minutes + 30 minutes oven time + cooling
For the base:
5 eggs
4.4 oz/125 g sugar
3 oz/85 g (spelt) flour
0.9 oz/ 25 g corn flour
0.5 oz/15 g cacao
For the ganache:
3.5 fl oz/ 100 ml heavy cream
3.5 oz/100 g dark chocolate, chopped
For the filling:
4.7oz/135 g sugar
1 vanilla pod, scraped
3.9 oz/110 g cacao
7 fl oz/210 ml milk
16.2 fl oz/480 ml heavy cream
5 tbsp amaretto
Extra: kitchen thermometer, hand mixer, sieve, greased and floured round baking pan (22 cm ∅)
1. Preheat the oven to 356°F/180°C. First make the base. In a large bowl, mix the eggs and sugar. Fill the sink half way up with hot water and place the bowl with the egg mixture in the water until the mixture has reached a temperature of 100°F/38°C.
2. Remove from the sink and beat the egg mixture for 8-10 minutes with a hand mixer at the highest setting, until the mixture is thick and stiff. Keep beating for 3 minutes more on a lower setting. Sift flour, corn flour, and cacao above the bowl and fold into the egg mixture .
3. Pour the batter into the baking pan and bake the cake for 30 minutes in the oven until it’s done. Turn off the heat and leave the cake in the oven with the door ajar for 5 minutes. Take out of the oven, let cool for 5 minutes more and turn the cake unto a wire rack. Leave it upside down and let cool completely. Slice the cake horizontally in three equal layers.
4. Make the ganache. Heat the cream, but take it off the heat just before it starts to boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate in a bowl. Mix until the chocolate has melted. Set aside.
5. Make the filling. In a large bowl mix sugar, vanilla, cacao, and milk. Add the cream and beat with a hand mixer until soft peaks form.
6. Lay the bottom layer of the cake on a large serving platter and spread half of the filling over. Cover with the second cake layer and sprinkle over the amaretto. Spread the rest of the filling over and cover with the top layer. Even out the sides with a spatula.
7. Pour the ganache on top of the cake and spread it out with a spatula. Also cover the sides of the cake. Decorate the cake if you like (see picture).