Chocolate Cake Florence
Submitted by vicki1017
Chocolate Cake Florence: a tender chocolate layer cake soaked with Tia Maria coffee liqueur and frosted with an old-fashioned cooked fudge icing, then dusted with chopped nuts. A grown-up chocolate cake.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
45 minREADY
1 hrsA grown-up chocolate layer cake with a boozy backbone and an old-fashioned cooked fudge frosting. The cake itself is a classic separated-egg butter cake: melted unsweetened chocolate for deep flavor, and whipped egg whites folded in to keep the crumb light despite all that richness.
What sets it apart is the soak. Once the layers cool, each gets doused with Tia Maria, a coffee liqueur whose mocha note both moistens the cake and deepens the chocolate.
The Florence icing is no quick buttercream. It is a cooked frosting, butter, sugar, milk, and bitter chocolate boiled to the soft-ball stage, then beaten with more Tia Maria until thick and spreadable, the way fudge icings were made before stand mixers. It sets to a smooth, fudgy finish.
A press of chopped nuts around the sides finishes it. Work quickly with the icing; if it firms up too soon, a splash of hot water loosens it again.
Chef Tips
- Fold the whipped egg whites in gently to keep the cake light; deflating them makes for a dense crumb.
- Soak the cooled layers with Tia Maria before frosting so the liqueur absorbs evenly.
- Cook the icing to the soft-ball stage (a candy thermometer helps), then beat until just thick enough to spread.
- If the icing hardens before you have finished frosting, soften it with a little hot water.
Variations
- Use Kahlua or another coffee liqueur in place of Tia Maria, or brewed coffee for an alcohol-free soak.
- Press toasted hazelnuts or pecans onto the sides.
- Add a layer of whipped cream or ganache between the cakes.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat oven to 350℉ (180℃). Sift flour with baking powder and salt.
Cream butter; add 1½ cup of the sugar gradually and blend until light and fluffy.
Beat in egg yolks. Add chocolate and vanilla.
Add flour alternately with milk, mixing well after each adition.
Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry; add ½ cup sugar and fold into batter.
Turn into pans and bake 35 minutes. Cool. Pour 2 tablespoon Tia Maria over each layer and frost with Florence icing.
Dust sides with chopped nuts.
Florence Icing 4 tablespoon butter 2 cup sugar ½ cup milk 2 oz bitter chocolate Melt butter in a saucepan; add sugar and milk.
Bring to a boil stirring constantly then cook over low heat 10 minutes or until temperature reaches 236 degrees or 115 c.
Melt chocolate; add Tia Maria. Stir into butter mixture. Remove from heat and beat icing until thick enough to spread.
If icing hardens before cake is frosted, soften with a little hot water.
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