Hello there, ready for dessert?
There are some things in life that just go well together.
The smell that comes after a spring rain, two hands clasped, a runner and a
good pair of shoes, a main dish and a dessert, chilies and chocolate, coffee
and chocolate. What!?!?! Yes you read
that correctly, chilies, coffee, and chocolate.
These three ingredients set the tone for this memorable dessert which is
topped by another well-known pairing, tequila and lime.
First, a brief history lesson J Tonight we are making a cake that dates back
to the great depression. During an era
where supplies were short cooks and bakers learned how to make do without hard
to come by commodities such as eggs and utilized less of items that were on hand
but in short supply like flour. Today, an eggless cake is a vegan specialty,
back then it was just a common cake.
This recipe uses no eggs and very little flour but is moist, rich and
delicious.
As with most baking we start by combining the dry
ingredients. Into a medium sized mixing bowl place the flour, baking soda, cocoa
powder, cayenne pepper, and salt. Mix this thoroughly with a whisk until it is
well combined. At this point, some recipes suggest to sieve this mixture a
couple times. In theory, it will make the cake lighter. In practice it is a
step I have never found the need to use with this type of cake but the next
step is important. Add sugar. Sugar is very important to this cake, and almost
every cake. It helps retain moisture, reduces gluten development and few other
things that are important to the baking process. Oh, and it tastes good too. Mix
until all dry ingredients are well combined then create a well in the middle of
the bowl for the liquid. Into your well
place coffee, a light oil, vanilla, and vinegar. Mix gently well combined but
do not over mix. At this time you will notice an unusual phenomenon in baking,
your batter will begin to bubble. Do you remember combining baking soda and
vinegar to make volcanos as kid? Same idea here. The vinegar combined with the
soda bubble and aerate the cake causing it to be less dense than expected. Pour your batter in an 8 inch round pan lined
with parchment paper. Bake in a 350 degree oven approximately 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack while prepping the
frosting.
Our second flavor pairing will be a margarita inspired
frosting. An easy almost buttercream is
just what this cake calls for. Take one
softened, room temperature, stick of butter, and cream it with a fork. To the
butter add vanilla and mix until well combined. Now, more sugar J add your powdered sugar until fully mixed. To
this thick paste add tequila and lime zest then mix with the fork. This will
result in a creamy frosting that is easily spreadable and very tasty.
Frost the cake and enjoy some of the best flavor pairings in
the dessert world. The slight heat from
the chili, mixed with the bitter coffee and chocolate topped with a sweet,
tangy frosting that tickles your taste buds.
You may notice a lack of pictures. Don't laugh. I ate the cake...
Ingredients:
CAKE
1 3\4 cups flour
1\4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
1\3 tsp salt
1 cup strong coffee
1 cup sugar
1\3 cup light oil (coconut, canola, etc)
1 tbsp white vinegar
1 tbsp vanilla
1 stick softened butter
1 pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp tequila
Zest of one lime
Cinnamon
Ground dark chocolate
Thanks for eating with me this weekend. You are always welcome :)
Feel free to drop a comment or to follow the blog.
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