Chocolate Velvet Fudge Cake

This recipe is from Rose Levy Beranbaum. It's simple and it uses a non-conventional method of cake making - not genoise, not chiffon, not wet+dry, not by creaming butter. Reading the recipe, I was skeptical of the batter's potential to produce a soft cake. I thought that without creaming the butter or whisking the eggs, it would just result in a dense, flat cake.

But it turned out to be a soft fine-crumbed cake with a rich cocoa flavour. I bet this would be great as a seven-layer cake, filled and frosted with layers of rich dark chocolate ganache... mmmm...

Makes enough batter for a 4-cup bundt pan.

40g cocoa powder
80ml boiling water
2 eggs (100g without shells)

80ml water
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
157g cake or plain flour

160g sugar (reduced from 200g)
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
150g unsalted butter, room temp, cut into small cubes

Whisk cocoa and boiling water until smooth. Cover to prevent evaporation and cool to room temperature.

In another bowl, whisk the eggs, water and vanilla just until lightly combined.

Combine all remaining ingredients except the butter in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and cocoa mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for a minute or so.

With the mixer on medium-low speed, gradually add the egg mixture, beating till well incorporated. Scrape the batter into a greased bundt pan and smooth the surface evenly.

Bake at 170*C for 25-30 minutes till a skewer comes out clean.

Allow cake to cool completely in the pan before unmoulding. DO NOT attempt to unmould or move the cake while still hot - it will break up to pieces!

When cool, unmouild into serving dish and drizzle a generous amount of warm chocolate ganache before serving.

100g chocolate

80ml whipping cream

1 tbs butter

1 tbs Kahlua

Heat all ingredients. Stir till smooth.

If mixture is too thick, add water till a pouring consistency is achieved.

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