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Chocolate Spice-Cake Pudding
We created this intense "bread pudding" using chocolate spice cake instead of bread and baked it in a Charlotte mold with a custard adapted from a recipe in Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts (Random House, 1991). We like to cover this cake with rich, dark chocolate sauce.
From: Saveur SERVES 10
FOR THE CAKE:
10 tbsp. butter
2 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1 1⁄2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1⁄2 tsp. salt
1⁄2 tsp. ground cloves
1⁄2 tsp. dry mustard
1⁄2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1⁄2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1 cup dark or light molasses
1 cup strong coffee, cooled
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled
FOR THE CUSTARD:
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
4 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream
6 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Chocolate Sauce (see below)
For the cake: Preheat oven to 375°. Grease a jelly roll pan with 1 tbsp. of the butter; set aside. Sift flour, baking soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt, cloves, mustard, and pepper together into a medium bowl. Beat sugar and remaining 9 tbsp. butter together in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then molasses. Mix in one-third of the flour mixture, then one-third of the coffee; repeat process twice. Beat in chocolate. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until top springs back when touched, about 15 minutes. Set aside to let cool.
For the custard: Melt chocolate with milk and cream in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Set aside to let cool. Whisk eggs and vanilla together in a small bowl, whisk into milk mixture, and set aside.
Cut parchment paper to fit sides and bottom of a 13-cup charlotte mold. Grease mold with half the remaining butter, line with paper, and grease with remaining butter. Cut a circle of cake to fit bottom of mold and press into bottom. Cut 7 more pieces into flared "planks", about 1" × 2" × 3 1⁄2". Place in mold wide end up, leaving 3⁄4" spaces in between, as if making a crown. Cut remaining cake into irregular squares and place inside crown. Pour custard over cake pieces. Bake for 70 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 45–60 minutes.
To serve: Invert cake onto a plate and unmold. Pour half the chocolate sauce over cake and serve the remaining sauce on the side.
Notes on Chocolate Substitutions
German chocolate is also known as sweet baking chocolate, sweet dark chocolate or sweet chocolate. It differs from other baking and cooking chocolate in that it has more sugar in it and consequently has a sweeter taste. It can be substituted with equal amounts of semi-sweet chocolate but will be slightly less sweet. A better chocolate substitute is to replace each ounce of German chocolate with an ounce of unsweetened baking chocolate plus 4 tsp. granulated sugar.
Cocoa Alternatives:
Another German chocolate alternative is made by using 1 oz. unsweetened cocoa powder along with 4 tsp. sugar and 2 tsp. unsalted or sweet butter or 2 1/4 tsp. vegetable shortening. This substitution adds moisture and flavor to the finished baked goods.
Chocolate Sauce
This rich, dark, decadent chocolate sauce is adapted from Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts (Random House, 1991). MAKES 2 CUPS
1⁄2 cup half-and-half *
1 cup sugar
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
8 tbsp. butter
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
* Note - Half & half translates to half cream, or a blend of whole milk and thick/double cream - the recommended proportions vary from equal parts to four parts whole milk with one part heavy cream. It should average 10 to 12% fat. Due to its lower fat content than cream, it can't be whipped.
Heat half-and-half and sugar together in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add chocolates and butter and whisk until smooth. Set aside to let cool briefly.
Stir in egg yolks and cook over low heat for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Set aside to let cool slightly. Serve over Chocolate Spice-Cake Pudding or ice cream, if you like.
