Queen Mother Cake

In honor of the Royal Wedding and wanting to bake my was through all of the cakes from my cookbook "A World of Cakes," I decided to try and make a Queen Mother Cake. It is a flourless chocolate cake with a chocolate ganache. The cookbook says to make it in three small bundt pans but instead I made it in a pie dish, so that it resembled more of a thin torte than a cake. 

Ingredients: 

Chocolate Cake-

8 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (about 1 1/3 c chocolate chips)

1/2 c (1 stick) unsalted butter

1 tsp instant coffee

1 tsp boiling water

4 eggs, separated

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 tsp cream of tarter

3/4 c sugar

Chocolate Ganache-

2 tbsp unsalted butter

6 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped 

2 tbsp light corn syrup

1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 325*F

2. Butter you pan or dish and then dust with cocoa powder

3. Combine the chocolate and butter in a double boiler (bowl over a few inches of simmering water,) or carefully microwave for 10 seconds at a time. With both methods, stir constantly, chocolate will burn very easily. 

4. Once the butter and chocolate is melted and combined well, take off heat or out of microwave and set aside to cool.

5. Combine the coffee and boiling water, stir and set aside to cool.

6. When the coffee is cooled, add in egg yolks and vanilla, and stir until blended.

7. Then pour the coffee mixture over the chocolate and whisk until completely blended

8.  In a separate bowl, beat the egg white and the cream of tart until it forms soft peaks.

9. Gradually add the sugar and beat until stiff, shiny peaks form

10. Fold the egg whites into the chocolate bater and mix completely

11. Pour batter into the prepared dish or pan and bake for 25 - 35 minutes, depending on size and depth of your pan

12. Remove from the oven and let cool in pan for 15 minutes before flipping out onto a cooling rack, it may sink a little in the center this is fine

13. Then melt butter over a double boiler or in the microwave

14. Add the chocolate and corn syrup, and continue heating slowly until the chocolate has melted completely

15. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla

16. Let cool and then pour over cake, once it is on the dish you desire to serve it on

You will need semisweet chocolate, unsalted butter, instant coffee, boiling water, eggs, vanilla extract, cream of tarter, sugar, and  light corn syrup.

Combine the chocolate and butter in a double boiler (bowl over a few inches of simmering water,) or carefully microwave for 10 seconds at a time. With both methods, stir constantly, chocolate will burn very easily. 

Once the butter and chocolate is melted and combined well, take off heat or out of microwave and set aside to cool.

Combine the coffee and boiling water, stir and set aside to cool.

To separate the egg yolks and egg whites, crack the egg over your hand and let the egg white run through your fingers and then put the egg yolk in a separate bowl.

It is okay if the yolks break once they are in the bowl, but if any of the egg yolks breaks into the egg whites then they aren't any good, and you will have to get new whites because the whites won't beat properly it there is any hint of oil in them.

When the coffee is cooled, add in egg yolks and vanilla, and stir until blended.

Then pour the coffee mixture over the chocolate and whisk until completely blended

In a separate bowl, beat the egg white and the cream of tart until it forms soft peaks.

You know that you have reached a soft peak consistency when you can pull the beater out and turn it over and the peak falls over softly.

Gradually add the sugar and beat until stiff, shiny peaks form. You know that you have reached a stiff peak then you pull the beater out and the peak stands up.

Fold the egg whites into the chocolate bater and mix completely

Pour batter into the prepared dish or pan and bake for 25 - 35 minutes, depending on size and depth of your pan. Remove from the oven and let cool in pan for 15 minutes before flipping out onto a cooling rack, it may sink a little in the center this is fine

For the Ganache: 

Then melt butter over a double boiler or in the microwave.  Add the chocolate and corn syrup, and continue heating slowly until the chocolate has melted completely. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.

Let cool and then pour over cake, once it is on the dish you desire to serve it on

It's not the prettiest thing here, but I will tell you if you're not in a hurry like I was you can make it look very pretty. Everyone loved it and it only lasted about 5 minutes. Enjoy!