Happy Valentine’s Day! (and a decadent chocolate cake recipe)

Let me start by saying that I’m not a big chocolate lover. I ate enough chocolate for a lifetime during my childhood, my life quota of chocolate was filled long ago. Most of my friends, however, are huge chocolate lovers.

This recipe from Cooking Slow by Andrew Schloss is for hardcore chocolate lovers. It’s rich, decadent, and fudgy. It does take 4 hours to bake at 175°F, but it’s all unattended baking time.

A little sliver of this cake goes a long way. And if you are a fan of slow cooking then definitely check out the book. The cooking slow method is convenient but also produces great results: tender meats, softer custards, and creamy casseroles. There is a recipe for garlic ginger lobster in the book which is spectacular and delicious, will be writing about it soon.

Triple Chocolate Bypass Cake
Adapted from Cooking Slow by Andrew Schloss

vegetable oil spray
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 lb semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
8 large egg yolks
raspberries and blackberries for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 175°F.
2. You will need an 8 inch round springform pan. Coat sides and bottom with vegetable oil spray and line bottom with parchment paper. Place pan on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil.
3. Add heavy cream and brown sugar to a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the chocolate, turn heat off, and stir until chocolate is completely melted. Add in the salt, vanilla extract, and almond extract. Stir well. Add in the egg yolks and mix until combined. Pour mixture into prepared pan.
4. Bake for about 4 hours, or until surface of the cake is solid but still soft and jiggly in the center. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack. Refrigerate until firm.
5. When you are ready to plate, run a knife or small spatula around the sides of the cake, remove ring, invert onto a plate and remove the parchment paper. Then invert again on a serving platter. Serve with fruit and a dusting of cocoa powder or powdered sugar.

Hope you have a happy Valentine’s day! The chocolate cake is long gone, but I will be indulging in these petit fours & macarons.

Disclosure: I received a review copy of Cooking Slow, all opinions are my own.