Monday, June 2, 2008

Suzy’s cake

Suzy's cake

A couple of dear friends moved to Rio de Janeiro and we hadn’t seen each other in a long time. Do you know that kind of friend you can spend an entire evening talking to and laughing with? Adriana and Cadu are exactly like that.

Homemade pizza was on the menu and there was still dessert to be chosen – I had 2 or 3 options in mind. But after spending the whole day running errands and arriving home late, I had to change my plans – something quick was necessary. Pierre Hermé’s cake was perfect: only 5 ingredients and half an hour in the oven. Before serving it, all I had to do was add a bit of vanilla sugar and grated orange zest to heavy cream and whip it for a couple of minutes.

This was the second time I made this cake – the first one was ages ago, long before the blog – and again the master’s cake was a hit.

Suzy's cake

Suzy’s cake
from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Herme

250g bittersweet chocolate, chopped – I used 70% cocoa solids
250g unsalted butter, room temperature
200g sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
70g all-purpose flour

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF. Butter a 24cm (9in) round cake pan that is at least 5cm (2in) high, line the bottom with parchment paper, butter the paper, and dust the inside of the pan with flour; tap out the excess and set the pan aside.

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over – not touching – simmering water and heat until the chocolate is melted; or melt the chocolate in a microwave oven. Set the chocolate aside to cool; it should feel only just warm to the touch when you mix it with the rest of the ingredients.

Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of a mixer and beat on medium speed for about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently, until the butter is creamy and the sugar well blended into it. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each addition. Reduce the mixer speed to low, pour in the cooled chocolate, and mix only until it disappears into the batter. Alternatively, you can fold in the last of the flour with a rubber spatula. You’ll have a thick, smooth, satiny batter that looks like old-fashioned chocolate frosting.

Scrape the batter into the pan, smooth the top, and slide the pan into the oven. Bake for 26 to 29 minutes or until the cake rises slightly and the top has lost its sheen. The top may crack a bit and the cake may not look entirely set in the center; when you test the cake by inserting a slender knife into the center, the knife will come out lightly streaked with batter, which is what you want. Transfer the cake to a rack to cool.

When the cake has cooled, chill it in the refrigerator for an hour or two to make it easy to unmould. Turn the cake out, remove the parchment, and invert the cake onto a serving platter so that it is right side up. Allow the cake to come to room temperature before slicing and serving.

Serves 6-8

30 comments:

Ginny said...

Delicious! I would love a slice! I love having friends like that...they make everything better!

Manggy said...

Wowza! I've long wanted to make Suzy's Cake off the book, but I never seem to come across a huge amount of high-quality chocolate that the book warns us is the only way to go for this cake :P Looks beautiful!

Marianna said...

Oh nice! I'm gonna have to note this recipe down. It's nice to have simple recipes from a patisserie master! The cake looks great!

Silvia - Magnolia Wedding Planner said...

Patricia I know exactly which kind of friends you are talking about! I have few REAL friends and they are like this ..hours and hours talking and laughing.
And this cake seems perfect to finish an evening with such fantastic friends!
:-D
A kiss
Silvia

Peabody said...

Yum, yum. So sinful yet so easy....perfect for parties.

Deborah said...

What a gorgeous cake! The perfect ending to what sounds like a wonderful evening!

La Cuisine d'Helene said...

That would satisfy my craving for chocolate. Looks good.

Lydia (The Perfect Pantry) said...

Promise that if I ever make it to you kitchen, you'll make this yummy cake for me? It looks heavenly.

LyB said...

Don't you just love it when simple looking recipes turn out to be really simple to make! That looks just sinfully rich and decadent, I love it already! :)

Abby said...

You're making me crave chocolate! And chilling it to make it easier to unmold is a great idea!

Gigi said...

Oh Patricia! You have know idea what a life saver you are! I was looking for a dessert that I need for impromptu dinner and this sounds like the perfect choice. Especially since I have all the ingredients on hand. Thank you!!!

Anonymous said...

That looks divine! I can taste the chocolate here :)

Peter G | Souvlaki For The Soul said...

I love the simplicity of this Patricia and the fact that it uses so few high quality ingredients.

My Sweet & Saucy said...

I love a bite of pure and simple chocolate cake...looks fantastic!

Anonymous said...

I can tell that I would just ADORE this cake!

Chibog in Chief said...

pierre herme is one of my favorite french grand chef. i just made a dacquoise cake topped with chocolate cream chantilly from his book last week. judging from your cake i guess he is really the champion of chocolate dessert! this suzy cake looks gorgeous!

Anonymous said...

Sounds lovely...just lovely!

RecipeGirl said...

Looks like we both had chocolate cake on the brain for today.

Yours looks terribly simple and delicious!

Anonymous said...

Sounds like you have great friends :) And, what a lovely cake.

Elle said...

This is the perfect dessert! Great for sharing with wonderful friends.

Anonymous said...

What a lovely slice you have there, dearie! It looks perfectly chocolatey. :)

Patricia Scarpin said...

Ginny, they do!

Mark, I saved some good chocolate especially for this. :)

Marianna, very simple and the result is amazing!

Silvia, you are so right, my friend.
xoxo

Pea, I agree. :)

Deb, it was!

Helene, it's very chocolatey.

Lydia, my dear, I'd make a 7-course dinner! :)

LyB, and it was made in a heartbeat!

Abby, make sure you serve it at room temperature, because it improves the flavor!

Gigi, I'm so glad to hear that! Thank you, dear!

Linda, thank you!

Pete, just a handful of ingredients.

Melody, thank you!

Lorraine, I know you would!

Dhanggit, that cake sounds so wonderful!

Cathy, thank you!

RecipeGirl, your cake looks fabulous!

Kristen, I do - I'm very lucky! :)

Elle, they deserved a great dessert. :)

Hi, darling! very chocolatey, indeed. :)

Sarah said...

Looks rich and delicious! Love it.

Cookie baker Lynn said...

Quick, easy, 5 ingredients, and it turns out fabulously? I'm bookmarking this one!

ChichaJo said...

Oh it looks delicious! I have this book and have been wanting to make this! I love this sort of rich chocolate cake :)

Manggy - they have Valrhona in Cook's Exchange :)

Kelly-Jane said...

I've got that book - and missed this recipe, it looks fabulous!

KJ said...

It sounds perfect!!!!

Jaime said...

looks a lot like the TWD "brownies" we just made!

chriesi said...

Mmmm yummy!

Anonymous said...

You're killing me, Pat! I can so imagine myself sinking my teeth in that gorgeous fudge piece of heaven.

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