Chocolate Truffle Cake with Ganache and Chantilly Cream

For Valentine's Day I wanted to make my family a chocolate "gift" instead of buying boxes of storebought chocolate.  Everyone was coming for dinner tonight so I made a chocolate truffle cake.  This is a very rich cake so a little piece is all you need.  If you're going to eat chocolate you might as well eat some really good chocolate and enjoy every bite. The very small sliver of cake I had was rich and velvety and I savored it.  My husband, on the other hand, ate 2 large pieces and said it was better than chocolate desserts he's had in fancy restaurants.  I take that as a great compliment since we've eaten in some very fine restaurants around the world.

Make this cake for your valentine!




Chocolate Truffle Cake (adapted from Gwin Grimes flourless chocolate cake)

1 pound Callebaut dark chocolate (I used the chips sold in the bulk section in Central Market, semi-sweet calets)
8 ounces unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup sugar
6 large eggs
1 T brewed coffee
1/2 tsp salt

Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.  Butter the sides with softened butter.  Cut a large piece of heavy duty foil or two pieces of regular foil and cover bottom and 3/4 of the way up the side of the pan with the foil.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan over low heat, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, pour in the sugar and eggs.  Beat on hgih speed for about 5 minutes, or ontil the mixture is light in color and has tripled in volume.

Turn the mixer to low and pour in chocolate and butter mixture.  Continue to mix on low speed until the chocolate is completely mixed in.  Add the coffee and salt.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  At this point you can either bake the cake or cover the pan with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
When you are ready to bake the cake, preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.  Boil about 4 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Place the cake in a large roasting pan and pour the boiling water around the cake pan until it reaches about 3/4 up the side of the pan.  Bake the cake for about 35 minutes or unitl the cake is slightly puffed and the center is still slightly jiggly.  It will continue to cook after it's removed from the oven, and will get completely firm once it is chilled. 

Remove roasting pan and cake from the oven and let the cake cool for about 15 minutes in the water.  Remove and let cool on the counter for another 30 minutes.  Remove the ring, frost the cake with warm ganache and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Serve the cake or wrap the cake and chill it for a few hours.  When it's cold it will cut better. Cut it like cheesecake by running hot water over the knife, drying it quickly, cut cake, repeat with each slice.

Ganache
8 ounces Callebaut semi-sweet calets
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 T sugar
1 T light corn syrup
2 T butter

Heat cream, sugar and syrup in a small saucepan to a boil.  Pour over chocolate chips.  Stir the mixture and add the butter.  Stir again until smooth.  Cool slightly before pouring on cake.

Serve with Chantilly Cream (whipped cream).
1 cup heavy cream, whipped with 2 T confectioner's sugar