Bresse Farmhouse Chocolate Cake
Submitted by yacknsnack
Bresse farmhouse chocolate cake is a French country dessert: a thin, almost-flourless bittersweet chocolate cake that falls intentionally, then gets slathered in a glossy reduced-cream ganache and dusted with cocoa sugar.
YIELD
1 cakePREP
10 minCOOK
45 minREADY
1 hrsThis cake comes from the Bresse region of eastern France, better known for its prized poultry than its pastries. The recipe is deceptive in its simplicity, just four main ingredients in the batter, but it rewards exact technique with a result that belongs in a Parisian patisserie.
The crucial move is reducing the cream by half before whisking it into the ganache. This concentrates the milk solids so the glaze sets firm and glossy rather than dripping off the cake. A good 20 minutes of gentle simmering is required.
The batter is beaten on high for a full 5 minutes until it forms a thick ribbon. This air incorporation is what gives the thin cake its rise and custardy texture. It is meant to fall as it cools, that is not a failure, that is the cake.
Bittersweet chocolate at 60 to 70 percent cacao is a must. Milk chocolate will taste saccharine here. Good Valrhona or Scharffen Berger rewards the short ingredient list.
Chef Tips
- Use a springform pan with a parchment collar to release the delicate cake cleanly.
- Bake just until set in the center, a few moist crumbs on a toothpick are fine. Overbaked and the cake dries out.
- Pour the warm ganache over a fully cooled cake set on a rack over waxed paper to catch drips.
- The cocoa-sugar crisscross dusting is traditional French patissier flourish, don’t skip it.
Variations
- Add a teaspoon of espresso powder to the batter for a mocha lean.
- Replace half the cream reduction with Grand Marnier for an orange-chocolate twist.
- Serve with fresh raspberries or a spoonful of crème fraîche to cut the richness.
Ingredients
Directions
Simmer cream until reduced by half, about 20 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400℉ (200℃).
Lightly butter an 8-inch springform pan.
In a double boiler, melt 4 ounces of the chocolate with ¼ pound of the butter, cut into small pieces.
In a medium bowl, blend the flour and ⅓ cup of the sugar.
Add the eggs and mix well.
Add the melted chocolate and butter to the bowl and, with an electric mixer, beat at high speed for about 5 minutes, until the batter is smooth and forms a ribbon when the beaters are lifted.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan (it will be about 1 inch deep) and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.
Unmold the cake onto a rack and let it cool; it will fall to about half its original height.
Meanwhile, in a double boiler, melt the remaining 3 ounces of chocolate with the remaining 1 teaspoon butter.
In a small heavy saucepan, bring the reduced cream to a boil, then whisk it vigorously into the chocolate.
Continue whisking until smooth and glossy.
Place sheets of waxed paper under the cake and cooling rack.
Pour the frosting over the top of the cake, using a metal spatula to spread the frosting evenly over the top and sides.
After the frosting has hardened slightly, about 5 minutes, use a long straight knife to mark the top in a crisscross pattern.
Mix the cocoa with the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar and sprinkle it decoratively over the cake before serving.
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