Ingredients
Mexican Chocolate Cake
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour*
- 1/4 cup Dutched cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne or chipotle pepper
- 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/2 cup + 3 tablespoons Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup water
Mascarpone Cream
- 2 teaspoons gelatin
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup water
- 6 tablespoons Dixie Crystals Extra Fine Granulated Sugar
- 1 (8 oz) container mascarpone cheese
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Decoration
- 1 (4 ounce) bar best quality chocolate
*Spoon & Sweep method: Use a spoon to fill measuring cup with flour until required amount is obtained. Scooping measuring cup directly into flour bag will firmly pack flour resulting in too much flour required for recipe.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 310°F.
- Butter and flour an 8-inch baking pan and set aside. (Fitting a round piece of parchment paper on bottom of baking pan is highly recommended for easy removal of cake.)
- Sift together flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, pepper, baking soda, and sugar, and set aside.
- In a bowl large enough to hold all ingredients, whisk egg and buttermilk until well combined. Add oil, vanilla, and salt and whisk smooth.
- Meanwhile, heat water until hot.
- Add dry ingredients and buttermilk-egg mixture, and whisk smooth. Add hot water in 3 increments while whisking batter smooth in between additions.
- Pour batter into pan and place in oven, bake for 40-45 minutes until center of cake bounces back when lightly pressed with a finger or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- After 5 minutes, turn upside down on a plastic food-lined surface and allow to cool.
- Clean cake pan and wipe lightly with cooking oil. Press plastic food wrap well into corners and ensure that plastic hangs well over sides. Set aside.
- Prepare mascarpone cream by combining gelatin and 3 tablespoons water in a small bowl; set aside.
- Whisk heavy cream in a cold bowl to soft and mousse-like consistency. It is very important not to whip until it forms a peak. Set aside in the refrigerator.
- Select a saucepan and bowl which fit well together and where bowl does not hang over a saucepan. Fill a saucepan with 1 inch of water and bring to a boil. Once it reaches boiling, turn it down to a low simmer. In a bowl whisk together egg yolks and 1/4 cup water. Add sugar and whisk well. Place bowl over simmering water and whisk constantly until yolk mixture reaches 165°F. Remove from heat. (At this temperature egg yolks are safe to eat.)
- Add gelatin mixture and whisk well. Set aside for 5 minutes before adding cheese.
- Add mascarpone cheese and vanilla extract and whisk smooth.
- Add soft whipped heavy cream and gently fold into above using a spatula. Set aside.
- Slice chocolate cake horizontally in half and place it in the plastic-lined cake pan.
- Pour half of cream onto cake and cover cream with other cake half. Pour remaining cream on top.
- Place in refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- Lift cake out of pan by overhanging plastic and place it on a serving tray.
- For chocolate curls place a marble pastry board in a freezer for 30 minutes. A large marble or high gloss ceramic tile will work as well.
- Chop chocolate into small pieces and place in a microwave oven-proof bowl. Melt chocolate in 7-second increments, and stir in between heating. Stop once chocolate is just melted.
- Have a metal cake spatula ready. Remove cold stone from freezer and rapidly pour about 4-6 tablespoons of melted chocolate on stone. Very quickly spread chocolate as thin as you can onto cold stone.
- Using your spatula lift up pieces of chocolate and roll and fold them into curled shapes.
- Repeat with remaining chocolate and place it onto surface of cake. Sprinkle with cocoa powder.