3/23/2011

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Devit's Food Cake

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From NIGELLA

KITCHEN by Nigella Laws on. Copylight 201 0 Nigella Lawson. Published by Hwerion. Available

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wherever books are sold. Pli Rights Reserved.

Prep -nme: Inactive Prep -nme: Cook -nme:

20 min 1 hr 10 min 35 min

Level: Ea9j

Serves: 10 to 12 ~rvings

Directions
Forget the name, this cake is heavenly. The crumb is tender, the filling and frosting luscious. \M1en I made this one Friday, I expected my children, resident food critics much in the mould of The Grim Eater, to find it too dark, too rich, not sweet enough: you get the gist; instead, I came down on Saturday morning to find nothing but an empty, chocolate-smeared trail of crumbs. You may prefer to do the things the other way around from me, and get the frosting underway before you make the cakes. Either way, read the recipe through properly before you start cooking (I shouldn't have to remind) to get the shape of things in your head. Not least because the frosting is softer and stickier than you maybe used to. \M1ile ~u're making it, don't panic. The mixture will seem very runny for ages once the chocolate has melted and ~u will think you have a liquid gleaming glaze, beautiful but unfit for purpose; leave it for about an hour, as stipulated, and it will be perfect and spreadable. It never quite dries to the touch, but this is, in part, what makes the cake so darkly luscious. Goo here is good. cake stand and a

Ingredients
Cake:

. 1/2 cup best-quality cocoa powder, sifted . 1/2 cup (packed) dark brown sugar . 1 cup boiling water . 1 stick plus 1 tablespoon (9 tablespoons)
. 3/4cup superfinesugar . 11/2cups all-purposeflour

soft uns alted butter, plus some for greas ing

. 1/2 teaspoon baking powder . 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

. 2 teaspoonsvanillaextract

. 2 eggs
.

Frosting:
. 1/2 cup water
. 2 tablespoonsdarkbrownsugar . 1 1/2sticks (3/4cup)unsalted butter, cubed . 11 ounces best-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (or 2 cups chips) . . Special equipment 2 (8-inch) round cake pans
For the cake: Preheat the own to 350 degrees F. Line the bottoms of both cake pans with parchment paperand butterthe sides.

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3/23/2011 www.foodnetwork.com/food/cda/recipe... Put the cocoa and 112cup dark brown sugar into a bowl with a bit of space to spare, and pour in the boiling water. Whisk to mix, then set aside. Cream the butter and superfine sugar together, beating well until pale and fluffy; I find this easiest with a free-standing mixer, but by hand wouldn't kill you. Wlile this is going on - or as soon as you stop if you're mixing by hand - stir the flour, baking powder and baking soda together in another bowl, and set aside for a moment Dribble in the vanilla extract into the creamed butter and sugar - mixing all the while - and then drop in an egg, quickly followed by a scoopful of the flour mixbJre,then add the second egg. Keep mixing and incorporate the rest of the dried ingredients for the cake then finally mix and fold in the cocoa mixbJre,scraping its bowl out well with a spatula. Di~de this fabulously chocolatey batter between the two prepared pans and put in the oven for

about30 minutes,or until a caketester comes out clean.Take the pans out and put them on a wire rackfor 5 to 10 minutes,
before turning the cakes out to cool. But as soon as the cakes are in the oven, get started on your frosting: putthe water, 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar and 1 112

sticksbutter a panover lowheatto melt in

Wlen this mixture begins to bubble, take the pan off the heat and add the chopped chocolate, swirling the pan so that all the chocolate is hit with heat, then leave for a minute to melt before whisking till smooth and glossy. Let it stand for about 1 hour, whisking now and again - when you're passing the pan - byWhich time the cakes will be cooled, and ready for the frosting.

Setone of the cooledcakes,with its top side down,on a cake stand or plate,and spread abouta third of the frosting,thentop
with the second cake, regular way up, and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides, swirling away with ~ur spatula. You can go for a smooth look, but I never do and probably couldn't.

MakeMead Note:The cakela)'erscan be baked1 dayaheadand assembledbeforesenAng: wraptightlyin plasticwrap and store in airtightcontainer. Icedcakewill keepfor 2 to 3 daysin airtightcontainerin a cool place.
Freeze Note: Un-iced cake la)'ers can be frozen on day of baking, each wrapped in double la)'er of plastic wrap and a la)'er of aluminium foil, for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3 to 4 hours on wire rack at room temperature.

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