A long time ago I was at a restaurant, and was served for dessert a
sort of chocolate cake/torte/pie.

This thing was unreal. It was dense like a piece of cold fudge and
had three layers, each a different color of chocolate. It was about
an inch high total.

Would anyone be able to help out with a recipe for this wonder? I'd
like to make it for Thanksgiving alongside the apple pie!

Thanks!

at Fri, 11 Nov 2005 20:04:00 GMT in <49u9n1leu669418k6hvaageu34q64l0u98@
4ax.com>, (E) wrote :

>A long time ago I was at a restaurant, and was served for dessert a
>sort of chocolate cake/torte/pie.
>
>This thing was unreal. It was dense like a piece of cold fudge and
>had three layers, each a different color of chocolate. It was about
>an inch high total.
>
>Would anyone be able to help out with a recipe for this wonder? I'd
>like to make it for Thanksgiving alongside the apple pie!

Sounds like somebody concocted a triple chocolate decadence. To make it,
use the following base recipe:

24 oz High-quality bittersweet Chocolate
15 tb Unsalted butter
1 1/2 tb Flour
6 Eggs
1 1/2 tb Sugar

Heat oven to 350F/175C. In a double-boiler, melt
broken chocolate with butter, stirring constantly; set
aside. Again in a double-boiler, stir eggs with sugar
until mixture is lukewarm and sugar is dissolved.
Blend flour into egg mixture; fold into chocolate mixture,
a little at a time. Spread into a buttered and waxed paper
lined 10"/25cm springform pan. Wrap the pan in foil, and set
in a roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with boiling water
until the water level is about 1/2" above batter line in the
pan. Bake for about 30 minutes, until the center of cake is
soft but just barely set. Cool.

Classically this is served with raspberry sauce : just puree some good
frozen raspberries - I recommend Cascadian Farm - and you can pass them
through a fine strainer if you are obsessive about seeds.

With a triple chocolate version, however, I think a slightly less
assertive, sweeter fruit is called for: strawberries.

To make the triple chocolate version, you need 3 different types of
chocolate. Here there are several possibilities. One possibility is to go
bittersweet/semisweet/milk. Another is bittersweet/milk/white. For the true
chocoholic, you may want to go unsweetened/bittersweet/semisweet.

If you want a strong colour contrast between bittersweet and semisweet,
you'll want to use a Dutch-process chocolate for the bittersweet and a
natural-process for the semisweet. And since natural-process has a stronger
flavour, for best flavour contrast you should use an extra bitter (85%-
class) chocolate for the Dutch-process layer (it will sit on the bottom)

So, what you do is divide the recipe into thirds, and use 1/3 for each
separate chocolate type. In other words, you'll need 8 oz of each type.
Then you assemble the cake by spreading layer 1 (the darkest) in the pan,
chilling until it firms up a bit, then make and spread layer 2, etc... Then
you bake as before. Since it's starting from a colder temperature, it will
take longer, too.

If you're using milk and especially white chocolate, you may want to turn
down the temperature to 325F/165C. Also be aware that when you melt either
of these chocolates, you need to use even lower temperatures.

Then there is the choice of chocolate. Here's what I would recommend for
each type, and then you can pick and choose as you prefer.

Unsweetened: Domori Style line 100%
Extra Bitter 85% (Dutch-processed): Cuba Venchi Cuor di Cacao 85%
Bittersweet: Amedei Trinidad
Semisweet: Callebaut 835 54.5%
Milk: Bonnat Asfarth
White: El Rey Icoa

If the price and availability of these deter you (and they might) then try
the following:

Unsweetened: Ghirardelli Unsweetened
Extra Bitter 85%: Lindt Excellence 85 (not Dutch, but oh well)
Bittersweet: Callebaut 7030
Semisweet: Stick with the Callebaut 835
Milk: Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate
White: Stick with El Rey, there is no substitute.

As you can see, some effort is involved. Being honest, I personally prefer
the all-bittersweet version. But the 3-chocolates variety does give
attractive visuals.


--
Alex Rast

(remove d., .7, not, and .NOSPAM to reply)

Moist chocolate cake:
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons
8 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

White chocolate truffle layer:
1 pound white chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons Poire Willliams liqueur

Milk chocolate truffle layer:
1 pound milk chocolate, finely chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons Bailey's Irish Cream liqueur

Bittersweet chocolate truffle layer:
l pound bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
6 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Garnish:
Cocoa powder
Whipped cream

Make the moist chocolate cake:

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350
degrees(F). Butter the bottom and sides of a 17 1/2 -by 11 1/2-inch
jelly-roll pan. Line the bottom of the pan with baking parchment or
waxed paper. Dust the sides of the pan with flour and tap out the
excess.
2. Melt the chocolate with the butter according to the directions
in the Chocolate Melting Tips; set aside.
3. In a 4 1/2-quart bowl of a heavy-duty elec trio mixer, using the
wire whip attachment, beat the yolks with 3 tablespoons of the sugar
on high speed until pale, 3 to 4 minutes. At low speed, beat in the
melted chocolate mixture; increase the speed to medium and continue to
beat for 2 minutes, until the mixture is silky and shiny. Remove the
bowl from the mixer stand and sprinkle the flour over the chocolate
batter (do not mix it in).
4. In a grease-free 4 1/2-quart bowl of a heavy-duty electric
mixer, using the wire whip attachment, beat the egg whites at low
speed until frothy. Gradually increase the speed to medium-high and
continue beating the whites until they start to form soft peaks. One
teaspoon at a time, gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and
continue to beat the whites until they are stiff and glossy. Using a
balloon whisk or rubber spatula, fold the beaten whites (along with
the flour) into the chocolate mixture one-third at a time. Scrape the
batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer with an
offset metal cake spatula.
5. Bake the cake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the cake begins to
pull away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the
center of the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to
cool for 15 minutes. Run a small knife around the sides of the pan and
invert the cake onto a wire rack. Peel the paper off the cake and
allow it to cool completely.

Make the white chocolate truffle layer:

1. Place the white chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan
over medium heat, bring the cream to a gentle boil. Pour the hot cream
over the chocolate and let the mixture stand for 30 seconds to melt
the chocolate. Gently stir until smooth; stir in the Poire Williams
liqueur.

Begin to assemble the cake:

1. Using the bottom of an 8 1/2-inch springform pan as a guide, cut
out two 8 1/2-inch rounds from the moist chocolate cake layer. Place
one of the rounds in the bottom of the spring-form pan. Scrape the
white chocolate truffle mixture onto the cake round and spread it into
an even layer. Freeze the cake for 1 hour, until set.

Make the milk chocolate truffle layer:

1. Place the milk chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan
over median heat, bring the cream to a gentle boil. Pour the hot cream
over the chocolate and let the mixture stand for 30 seconds to melt
the chocolate. Gently whisk until smooth; stir in the Bailey's Irish
Cream liqueur.
2. Remove the cake from the freezer and scrape the milk chocolate
truffle mixture over the white chocolate layer. Spread the mixture
into an even layer. Return the cake to the freezer for another hour.

Make the bittersweet chocolate truffle layer:

1. Place the bittersweet chocolate in a medium bowl. In a small
saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream and maple syrup to a gentle
boil. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate and let the
mixture stand for 30 seconds to melt the chocolate. Gently whisk until
smooth.
2. Remove the cake from the freezer and scrape the bittersweet
chocolate truffle mixture over the milk chocolate layer. Spread the
mixture into an even layer. Return the cake to the freezer for 30
minutes.
3. Place the second cake round on top of the bittersweet truffle
layer and gently press down on the cake to seal it. Chill the cake in
the refrigerator for 6 hours.

Unmold and garnish the cake:

1. Using a portable blow dryer or damp, very hot towel, carefully
heat the outside of the springform pan. Run a small, thinbladed knife
around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Carefully remove the
side of the springform pan.
2. Dust the top of the cake with cocoa powder. Cut the cake into
slices using a long sharp knife and garnish each slice with whipped
cream.

China Grill
60 West 53rd. St.
New York, NY
(212) 333-7788On Fri, 11 Nov 2005 12:04:00 -0800, E
> wrote:

>A long time ago I was at a restaurant, and was served for dessert a
>sort of chocolate cake/torte/pie.
>
>This thing was unreal. It was dense like a piece of cold fudge and
>had three layers, each a different color of chocolate. It was about
>an inch high total.
>
>Would anyone be able to help out with a recipe for this wonder? I'd
>like to make it for Thanksgiving alongside the apple pie!
>
>Thanks!

The Decadence recipe is the one!! HOWEVER, now with all these
recipe's, I'm going to get carried away. Thanks all!!




On Fri, 11 Nov 2005 12:04:00 -0800, E > wrote:

>A long time ago I was at a restaurant, and was served for dessert a
>sort of chocolate cake/torte/pie.
>
>This thing was unreal. It was dense like a piece of cold fudge and
>had three layers, each a different color of chocolate. It was about
>an inch high total.
>
>Would anyone be able to help out with a recipe for this wonder? I'd
>like to make it for Thanksgiving alongside the apple pie!
>
>Thanks!