Chocolate Cake with Winter Spices
"As ideal for nibbling as it is for baked goods, you’ll notice the difference between Askinosie’s single-origin chocolate and a standard baking chocolate immediately. Whereas baking chocolate tends to have muted flavors, this single origin chocolate is crisp, clean and smooth."
by Shannon Weber in Feast Magazine
Ingredients:
4 oz 70% Del Tambo, Ecuador Dark Chocolate, roughly chopped
1½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp high-quality natural cocoa powder
¾ tsp kosher salt
2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp Vietnamese cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
¼ tsp grated fresh nutmeg
1½ cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup un-sulfured molasses
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
zest of 2 medium oranges
juice of 1 medium orange
2 eggs, at room temperature
¾ cup boiling water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Line bottom with parchment paper; butter parchment liner.
In the top of a double boiler set over just-simmering water, melt chocolate, stirring frequently. When chocolate is completely smooth, set aside to cool slightly.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cocoa powder, salt, ground ginger, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add brown sugar and butter and beat on high until fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add melted chocolate and beat until incorporated. Add molasses, grated ginger, orange zest and juice and beat until combined; add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed until everything is homogenous. Add the flour mixture to the bowl in 2 parts, mixing for 10 to 15 seconds after each incorporation; scrape down the bowl and mix for 10 seconds more. With the mixer on low, stream in boiling water and mix until batter is completely homogenous, thoroughly scraping through to incorporate any dry patches. Pour mixture into prepared springform pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, checking at the 40-minute mark for doneness. Cake is done when a wooden skewer or cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean or with a few crumbs, but remains slightly sunken in the center. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
Release sides of springform pan and lift it over cake. Transfer cake to serving plate and slice to serve.