The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (313 page)

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Most German chocolate cake recipes are similar, if not identical, to the one on the German’s Sweet Chocolate box. Our tasters found several shortcomings in this recipe. It produced a cake that was too sweet, with chocolate flavor that was too mild, and with a texture so listless that the filling and cake together formed a soggy, sweet mush. We wanted a cake that was less sweet and more chocolaty than the original, but we didn’t want to sacrifice the overall blend of flavors and textures that makes German chocolate cake so appealing in the first place.

The first order of business was to scale back the recipe by one quarter, which allowed us to fit the batter into two cake pans, thereby producing a cake with four thinner layers rather than three thicker layers. After testing, we discovered that the texture of the cake actually improved when we used whole eggs instead of separating the eggs, beating the whites, and folding them into the batter. We increased chocolate flavor with a combination of cocoa powder and semisweet or bittersweet chocolate. Our final adjustments included tweaking the level and proportions of the sugar (both brown and white) and butter in the cake and filling, as well as toasting the pecans. We now had a truly chocolaty cake sandwiched with a rich coconut-pecan filling.

SERVES 10 TO 12

For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle of water to a boil, then measure out the desired amount. When you assemble the cake, the filling should be cool or cold (or room temperature, at the very warmest). To be time-efficient, first make the filling, then use the refrigeration time to prepare, bake, and cool the cakes. The toasted pecans are stirred into the filling just before assembly to keep them from becoming soft and soggy. Be sure to use cake pans with at least 2-inch-tall sides.

FILLING

CAKE

1. FOR THE FILLING:
Whisk egg yolks in medium saucepan, then gradually whisk in evaporated milk. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, butter, and salt and cook over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until mixture is boiling, frothy, and slightly thickened, about 6 minutes. Transfer mixture to bowl, whisk in vanilla, then stir in coconut. Cool until just warm, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cool or cold, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. (Do not stir in pecans until just before cake assembly.)

2. FOR THE CAKE:
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, grease parchment, and flour pans. Combine chocolate and cocoa in small heatproof bowl, pour boiling water over mixture, and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Whisk mixture gently until smooth, then let cool to room temperature. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl and set aside.

3.
Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and salt on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla, increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 45 seconds. Reduce speed to low, add chocolate, then increase speed to medium and beat until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down bowl once (batter may appear curdled). Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with 2 additions of sour cream, scraping down bowl as needed. Give batter final stir by hand (batter will be thick).

4.
Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth tops with rubber spatula. Bake cake until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes, switching position of pans twice through baking, so each cake spends same amount of time in each position. Let cakes cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, discard parchment, and let cool completely, about 2 hours, before filling. (Cooled cakes can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and kept at room temperature for up to 1 day. Wrapped tightly in plastic, then aluminum foil, cakes can be frozen for up to 1 month. Defrost cakes at room temperature before unwrapping and frosting.)

5. TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:
Place cooled cake layers on top of each other and make ¹⁄
₈
-inch-deep vertical cut into side of each cake layer. With long serrated knife, use sawing motion to cut cakes in half horizontally so that each cake forms two layers.

6.
Line edges of cake platter with 4 strips of parchment paper to keep platter clean. Place 1 cake layer on prepared platter. Stir toasted pecans into chilled filling. Spread 1 cup filling evenly across top of cake layer, spreading filling to very edge. Carefully place next cake layer on top of filling, aligning cuts so that layers are even. Repeat using remaining filling and cake layers. Carefully pull out pieces of parchment from beneath cake before serving. (Assembled cake can be refrigerated for up to 1 day. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

If you cannot find roasted unsalted macadamia nuts, substitute salted ones, but first remove excess salt by spreading them on a clean kitchen towel and giving them a good rub.

Reduce vanilla in filling to 1 teaspoon and add 2 teaspoons dark rum with vanilla in step 1. Substitute unsalted macadamia nuts for pecans. Just before assembling cake, peel and cut 4 bananas into ³⁄
₈
-inch-thick slices. Arrange one quarter of banana slices on first cake layer, then spread filling evenly over; repeat with remaining cake layers, bananas, and filling.

Add 2 teaspoons ground coffee to filling mixture with sugars in step 1. Substitute roasted unsalted cashews for pecans.

SERVES 15

The towering layers of chocolate cake separated by coconut-pecan filling look impressive in our German Chocolate Cake, but splitting the cake layers and assembling the cake is a fair amount of work, so we developed this simplified sheet cake variation, which slathers the entire cake with a thick layer of the coconut-pecan filling. In addition to being easier to assemble, the cake is also a cinch to serve to crowds. When you frost the cake, the frosting should be cool or cold (or room temperature, at the very warmest). To be time-efficient, first make the frosting, then use the refrigeration time to prepare, bake, and cool the cake. The toasted pecans are stirred into the frosting just before the cake is frosted to keep them from becoming soft and soggy.

Grease 13 by 9-inch baking pan, line with parchment paper, grease parchment, and flour pan. Follow recipe as directed through step 3, preparing filling to use as frosting. In step 4, pour batter into prepared pan, smooth top with rubber spatula, and gently tap pan on counter to release air bubbles. Bake cake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cake cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan, discard parchment, and let cool completely, about 2 hours, before frosting. Frost top of cake and serve. (Refrigerate cake if not serving immediately; if refrigerated longer than 2 hours, let cake sit at room temperature 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Cooled, unfrosted cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 day. Frosted cake can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Fallen chocolate cake, or molten chocolate cake, is an undercooked-in-the-center mound of intense, buttery chocolate cake. We wanted to turn this restaurant staple, typically baked in individual ramekins, into a practical recipe for home cooks. We were after individual portions of intensely flavored chocolate cake that had a light texture and an irresistibly runny center. Beating the eggs with sugar (and vanilla) to a foam, then folding in melted chocolate, delivered the rich, moist texture we were after, and adding a little flour lent body. Eight ounces of chocolate provided plenty of chocolate flavor without being overbearing. We discovered that the batter could be made and poured into the ramekins ahead of time and refrigerated, then baked during dinner, which meant they could arrive at the table piping hot at the right time.

SERVES 8

You can substitute 5 ounces unsweetened chocolate for the semisweet; if you opt to do so, increase the sugar to ³⁄
₄
cup plus 2 tablespoons.

1.
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease eight 6-ounce ramekins and dust with flour or cocoa. Arrange ramekins on rimmed baking sheet. Melt butter and chocolate in medium heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water, stirring once or twice, until smooth. Remove from heat.

2.
Using stand mixer fitted with whisk, whip eggs, egg yolk, sugar, vanilla, and salt on high speed until volume nearly triples, color is very light, and mixture drops from beaters in smooth, thick stream, about 5 minutes.

3.
Scrape egg mixture over chocolate mixture, then sprinkle flour on top. Gently fold egg mixture and flour into chocolate until mixture is uniformly colored. Ladle or pour batter into prepared ramekins. (Unbaked cakes can be refrigerated for up to 8 hours. Return to room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.)

4.
Bake until cakes have puffed about ¹⁄
₂
inch above rims of ramekins, have thin crust on top, and jiggle slightly at center when ramekins are shaken very gently, 12 to 13 minutes. Run knife around inside edges of ramekins to loosen cakes, invert onto individual serving plates, and let sit until cakes release themselves from ramekins, about 1 minute. Lift off ramekins, dust with confectioners’ sugar, if using, and/or dollop with whipped cream, if using, and serve.

Fold 1 tablespoon grated orange zest and 2 tablespoons orange liqueur into beaten egg and melted chocolate mixture with flour in step 3.

One large fallen chocolate cake can be prepared in a springform pan. Do not use a regular cake pan, as the cake will be impossible to remove once baked. Though the cake is best when served warm (within about 30 minutes of being unmolded), it can be held in the pan for up to 2 hours before serving.

Substitute greased 8- or 9-inch springform pan for ramekins. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees and bake until cake looks puffed, thin top crust has formed, and center jiggles slightly when pan is shaken gently, 22 to 25 minutes for 9-inch pan or 27 to 30 minutes for 8-inch pan. Let cake cool for 15 minutes, then run thin knife between cake and sides of pan and remove sides of pan. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar, if using, and/or dollop with whipped cream, if using, and serve.