Bready or Not: Chocolate Chip Cake
I am from a family of picky eaters. The family that will spend an hour debating where to eat. The family where my dad may love a restaurant and my brother will loathe it, and my mom eats low-carb so she'll always have to discard crusts and buns. Trying to figure out what to cook for them is a challenge--one my mom has largely given up on these days. But me, I like to cook, so if we're all together, I undertake the insane task of pleasing everyone.
When it comes to desserts, I know my mom can't eat most things (and she's okay with that) so I focus instead on the king of picky eaters: my brother. I will typically present to him a list of recipes to choose from.
When he chose this chocolate chip cake recipe, I was thrilled. I mean, LOOK AT THE CAKE. It's like a dinner plate-sized cookie sandwich! Plus, it gave me an excuse to walk around all day chanting, "Ganache, ganache, ganache." It's a cool word. Ganache.
I loved this cake. LOVED. It looks like a cookie sandwich. It is a cookie sandwich. The only thing I will change when I make it again--and I have the corrected measurements below--is that I will cut the ganache ingredients in half. It just seemed like too much (yes, there is such a thing). Weirdly enough, the excessive ganache was something that my dad, brother, and husband agreed on, so it must be true.
Ganache, ganache, ganache...
Chocolate Chip Cake
modified from recipe on The Faux Martha; originally from United Cakes of America
For the cake
WET INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
DRY INGREDIENTS
2 cups AP unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
CREAMING INGREDIENTS
10 tbs. unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1. Preheat oven to 335° and place rack in middle position. Line the bottom of two 9-inch round pans with parchment paper.
2. Combine wet ingredients in a bowl. Combine dry ingredients, except the chocolate chips, in separate bowl. Set aside.
3. Using a spatula, toss 2 tablespoons of the wet ingredients with the chocolate chips in a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the dry ingredients. Toss again to coat evenly. This will keep the chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
4. Mix butter and sugars in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment until well creamed, about 3 minutes.
5. Add egg and egg yolk one at a time.
6. Alternately add dry and wet mixtures about a quarter at a time without pausing between additions.
7. Remove the bowl and fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula. The dough will be thick—more like cookie dough than cake batter.
8. Divide dough into prepared pans. It will be too thick to fill the pan to the edges, but will spread under the heat of the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until edges crown and surface is browned.
9. Cool the cakes in pans to room temperature, then invert them using a small offset spatula to release edges.
10. Make ganache. Spread thick layer between the two cakes. Dust the top with confectioner's sugar. Shave dark chocolate and sprinkle on top.
Chocolate Ganache
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tb sugar
4 ounces (half a stick) unsalted butter, softened
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 tsp vanilla extract
dash of sea salt
1. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring cream and sugar to a light simmer, stirring occasionally. Place the butter, chocolate, vanilla, and sea salt in a large bowl.
2. Pour hot cream over ingredients in the bowl and let stand for a few minutes to melt the chocolate. Whisk until smooth and set aside to cool, but DO NOT refrigerate. Let it set.
3. Once the icing has thickened, stir it with a flexible spatula to a spreadable consistency.
OM NOM NOM. Ganache ganache ganache...
When it comes to desserts, I know my mom can't eat most things (and she's okay with that) so I focus instead on the king of picky eaters: my brother. I will typically present to him a list of recipes to choose from.
When he chose this chocolate chip cake recipe, I was thrilled. I mean, LOOK AT THE CAKE. It's like a dinner plate-sized cookie sandwich! Plus, it gave me an excuse to walk around all day chanting, "Ganache, ganache, ganache." It's a cool word. Ganache.
I loved this cake. LOVED. It looks like a cookie sandwich. It is a cookie sandwich. The only thing I will change when I make it again--and I have the corrected measurements below--is that I will cut the ganache ingredients in half. It just seemed like too much (yes, there is such a thing). Weirdly enough, the excessive ganache was something that my dad, brother, and husband agreed on, so it must be true.
Ganache, ganache, ganache...
Chocolate Chip Cake
modified from recipe on The Faux Martha; originally from United Cakes of America
For the cake
WET INGREDIENTS
1/4 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract
DRY INGREDIENTS
2 cups AP unbleached flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
CREAMING INGREDIENTS
10 tbs. unsalted butter, room temp
1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1. Preheat oven to 335° and place rack in middle position. Line the bottom of two 9-inch round pans with parchment paper.
2. Combine wet ingredients in a bowl. Combine dry ingredients, except the chocolate chips, in separate bowl. Set aside.
3. Using a spatula, toss 2 tablespoons of the wet ingredients with the chocolate chips in a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the dry ingredients. Toss again to coat evenly. This will keep the chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
4. Mix butter and sugars in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment until well creamed, about 3 minutes.
5. Add egg and egg yolk one at a time.
6. Alternately add dry and wet mixtures about a quarter at a time without pausing between additions.
7. Remove the bowl and fold in the chocolate chips with a spatula. The dough will be thick—more like cookie dough than cake batter.
8. Divide dough into prepared pans. It will be too thick to fill the pan to the edges, but will spread under the heat of the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until edges crown and surface is browned.
9. Cool the cakes in pans to room temperature, then invert them using a small offset spatula to release edges.
10. Make ganache. Spread thick layer between the two cakes. Dust the top with confectioner's sugar. Shave dark chocolate and sprinkle on top.
Chocolate Ganache
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tb sugar
4 ounces (half a stick) unsalted butter, softened
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 tsp vanilla extract
dash of sea salt
1. In a saucepan over medium heat, bring cream and sugar to a light simmer, stirring occasionally. Place the butter, chocolate, vanilla, and sea salt in a large bowl.
2. Pour hot cream over ingredients in the bowl and let stand for a few minutes to melt the chocolate. Whisk until smooth and set aside to cool, but DO NOT refrigerate. Let it set.
3. Once the icing has thickened, stir it with a flexible spatula to a spreadable consistency.
OM NOM NOM. Ganache ganache ganache...
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