CHOCOLATE VELVET FUDGE CAKE

My nifty new NordicWare bundt pan is called "Bavarian".  I purchased it at the CookShop in City Square and immediately started looking for new recipes to try out.  I have Rose Levy Beranbaum's new book, Rose's Heavenly Cakes, which is chock full of interesting recipes.  I chose the "Chocolate Velvet Fudge Cake" because I had all the ingredients in my pantry and it seemed so straight-forward.

After taking the pictures of the whole baked cake, I was impressed by the intricate grooves that showed up quite nicely in the cake.  I took a hot sliver of the chocolate bundt and ate it.  It was soft and fine textured but left a dry taste in my mouth, kind of like the dryness of cocoa powder.  I was perplexed.  It looked moist inside.  It seemed chocolatey.  It wasn’t over-baked.  In fact, I followed the instructions for a dark metal pan by baking it at 325degrees F and I took the cake out at the 50 minute mark.  I weighed my ingredients instead of using volume measurements.  I think perhaps this is just the way the cake is meant to be. 

Anyhoo, the girls liked it.  However, I wanted something to help the dry mouth feel and so I decided to make a chocolate glaze.  I mean, how can you go wrong by adding more chocolate?

In a glass measuring cup, I quickly melted 4 oz of dark chocolate pieces in the microwave along with 4 tablespoons of butter.  I stirred in 1 Tablespoon of corn syrup and mixed thoroughly.  While it was still warm, I poured it over the whole cake.  It looked so lovely.  Bebe came up and took a peek.  She said, “Mommy, it looks like a really big chocolate doughnut!”.  She licked her lips. 
 
It did look like a huge glazed chocolate doughnut.  The girls liked the cake much better with the glaze and it does go well with a cup of milk or some tea.  My mother of course, didn’t really dig it because she likes “wet” cakes. 
CHOCOLATE VELVET FUDGE CAKE
from Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Rose’s Heavenly Cakes
Batter:

• 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (sifted before measuring) /2.2 oz/63 grams unsweetened (alkalized) cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup/4 fluid oz/4.2 oz/118 grams boiling water
• 3 large eggs, at room temp
• 1/2 cup/ 4 fluid oz/4.2 oz/118 grams water
• 2 1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons, sifted into the cup and levelled/8.3 oz/235 grams cake flour
• 1 1/2 cups/10.5 oz/300 grams superfine sugar
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoons salt
• 16 tablespoons/2 sticks/8 oz/227 grams unsalted butter (at 65degrees to 75degrees F/19degrees to 23 degrees C)

Special Equipment:  one 10-cup fluted tube pan, preferably silicone, coated with baking spray with flour and set on a wire rack on a baking sheet.
Preheat the Oven:  Twenty minutes or more before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350degreesF/175degreesC (325degreesF/160degreesC if using a dark metal pan).
Mix the cocoa and water:  In a medium bowl, whisk the cocoa and boiling water until smooth.  Cover with plastic wrap to prevent evaporation and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.  To speed cooling, place it in the refrigerator.  Bring it to room temperature before proceeding.
Mix the remaining liquid ingredients:  In another bowl, whisk the eggs, the 1/2 cup water, and the vanilla just until lightly combined.
Make the Batter:  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed for 30 seconds.  Add the butter and the cocoa mixture.  Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened.  Raise the speed to medium and beat for 1 1/2 minutes.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Starting on medium-low speed, gradually add the egg mixture in two parts, beating on medium speed for 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Using a silicone spatula or spoon, scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly with a small metal spatula.
Bake the Cake:  Bake for 50-65 minutes, or until a wire cake tester inserted between the tube and the side comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center.  The cake should start to shrink from the sides of the pan only after removal from the oven.  If using a metal pan, the cake will take the shorter baking time.
Cool and unmold the cake:  If using the silicone pan, remove it still on the baking sheet and set the sheet on a wire rack.  (Avoid disturbing the cake until it is no longer hot in order to prevent the sides from collapsing.)  Cool the cake in the pan for 1 hour, or until completely cool.  Cool for 15 minutes if using the metal pan.  Unmold the cake onto a serving plate.

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