Mocha-Crème Cake

Over the past couple of months, I have been slowly (very slowly) reading my way through David Lebovitz's The Sweet Life in Paris.  Filled with humorous anecdotes and delectable recipes, Lebovitz details some of his experiences as an American living in Paris.  One of the recipes included in the book is for a mocha cake made with crème fraîche.  This recipe caught my attention because of the simple recipe (I even made my own crème fraîche!) and the short list of ingredients.  Plus, it calls for a combination dear to my heart: espresso/coffee and chocolate :)

Shortly after reading this recipe, one of my friends organized a potluck...the perfect opportunity to try a new recipe with plenty of guinea pigs taste testers.  The cake turned out beautifully, but extremely delicate and  very rich in flavor.  It's also quite a versatile cake since it can be served frozen, chilled, or at room temperature.  I tried the cake at all three serving temperatures and found that the flavor was not affected.  I guess it comes down to more of a textural preference.  I preferred it chilled since it gives a great mix of the frozen (imagine a rich, chocolate-flavored ice cream) and room temperature (smooth and truffle-like) versions, but this cake is excellent in any form.  One of my friends noted its smooth texture and how similar it tasted to Choc Mod's Truffettes de France (those delicious chocolate truffles available at Costco during the holiday season). 

One of the hinderances of the cakes extreme delicacy is the difficulty that comes with trying to cut those picture perfect slices.  If you're able to, I would suggest freezing the cake and cutting slices while it is frozen.  Otherwise, follow Lebovitz's suggestions and cut the cake with a knife dipped in very hot water and wipe the knife's blade clean after each slice.  Lebovitz also suggests cutting wedges with unflavored dental floss, pulled taut.  Check out the recipes for the cake and the crème fraîche below!

Crème Fraîche (makes 1 cup):

1 cup heavy cream

1 ½ tablespoons buttermilk

1.  Mix the cream and the buttermilk in a bowl.

2.  Cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and store in a warm spot for 12 hours, longer if using ultra-pasteurized cream (until thickened and slightly tangy).

3.  Refrigerate until ready to use.

Mocha-Crème Cake:

Special tools: 9-inch springform pan

                       Large pan, such as a roasting pan

12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used Ghirardelli's 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate)

⅔ cups brewed espresso or strong coffee

¼ cup crème fraîche

5 large eggs at room temperature

Pinch of salt

½ cup sugar

1.  Lightly butter a 9-inch springform pan and wrap the outside of the pan with aluminum foil to form a watertight seal.

2.  Set the cake pan inside a larger pan that will be large enough to make a water bath, such as a roasting pan.

3.  Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).

4.  Put the chocolate and espresso/coffee in a large heatproof bowl and place over a saucepan of simmering water to create a double boiler.  Stir gently until melted and smooth.

5.  Remove chocolate mixture from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

6.  Stir in the crème fraîche.

7.  In a standing mixer, whip the eggs, salt, and sugar on high speed until they hold their shape (about 5 minutes).

8.  Fold half of the whipped egg mixture into the cooled chocolate mixture.

9.  Fold in the remaining egg mixture.

10.  Scrape the batter into the prepared springform pan.

11.  Add warm water into the larger pan until it reaches halfway up the outside of the springform pan, creating a water bath.

12.  Bake for 50-60 minutes, until the cake is slightly firm, but still feels soft in the center.

13.  Lift the springform pan from the water bath, remove foil, and set pan on a cooling rack.

14.  Allow to cool to at least room temperature before serving.  Attempting to slice the cake while it is too warm will result in messy slices with much of the filling stuck to the knife’s blade.