Bête Noire Recipes

LA BETE NOIRE AKA THE BLACK BEAST RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter 10-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with a parchment round; butter parchment. Wrap 3 layers of heavy-duty foil around the outside of the pan, bringing it up to the top of the rim.
• Combine 1 cup of water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Stir till sugar dissolves, then simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Gently melt the 9 tablespoons of butter and the 18 ounces of chocolate in the microwave. Whisk till smooth. Whisk sugar syrup into chocolate, and cool slightly.
• Add eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk till well blended. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Place the cake pan in a large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the cake pan.
• Bake cake until the center is just set about 50 minutes. Remove from water bath; transfer to rack. Cool completely in the pan.
• Heat cream in microwave till hot. Remove and add chocolate. Whisk until smooth. Pour over the top of the cake while still in the pan. Gently shake the pan to distribute ganache evenly over the top of the cake.
• Refrigerate cake in pan until ganache is set, about 2 hours.
• Carefully run a knife around the pan sides to loosen the cake; release the sides of the springform pan.
• Serve wedges with sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries or shaved chocolate.

BETE NOIRE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the center of the oven.
• Butter a 9" cake pan (not a springform) and place a circle of parchment or wax paper on the bottom, covering it completely. Butter the paper.
• Chop both the chocolates into fine pieces and set them aside.
• Combine the water with 1 cup of the sugar in a heavy 1 1/2 quart saucepan. Bring to a rapid boil over high heat and cook about 2 minutes.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately add the chocolate pieces, stirring until they are completely melted. Then add the butter, piece by piece, stirring to melt it completely.
• Place the eggs and the remaining 1/3 cup sugar in either the bowl of an electric mixer or a regular mixing bowl. For a cake with a crunchy crust: beat the eggs and sugar in the electric mixer until they have tripled in volume. For a smooth top (better for frosting): mix the eggs and sugar only until the sugar dissolves.
• Add the chocolate/butter mixture to the eggs and mix to incorporate completely. DO NOT OVERBEAT! - this causes nasty air bubbles.
• Spoon and scrape the mixture into the prepared pan.
• Set the pan into a slightly larger pan or a sturdy jelly-roll pan.
• Set both in the oven and pour hot water into the larger pan.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes.
• Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then run a sharp knife around the sides to release the cake. Cover with plastic wrap and unmold onto a cookie sheet. Invert a serving plate over the cake and flip it over, so the plate is on the bottom and the cake on top. (Ed. Note: I cook longer as I don't trust the consistency. It's very "soft").
• Ganache:.
• Scald the cream.
• Add the chocolate off the heat, and stir very gently until smooth.
• Cool slightly and pour over cake.

LA BETE NOIRE CHOCOLATE FLOURLESS CAKE

Steps:

• For Cake:.
• Preheat oven to 350°F Butter 10 inch springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment round; butter parchment. Wrap 3 layers of heavy duty foil around outside of pan, bringing foil to top of rim. Combine water and sugar in saucepan. Bring to boil over medium hear, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk sugar syrup into chocolate; cool slightly. Add eggs to chocolate mixture and whisk until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place cake pan in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan.
• Bake cake until center no longer moves when pan is gently shaken, about 50 minutes. Remove from water bath; transfer to rack. Cool completely in pan.
• For Ganache:.
• Bring whipping cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Pour over top of cake still in pan. Gently shake pan to distribute ganache evenly over top of cake. Refrigerate cake in pan until ganache is set, about two hours.
• Do Ahead: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.
• Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake; release sides. Cut cake into wedges and serve with whipped cream.