Chocolate Cake with Rum-Spiked Figs
Submitted by lcurtis
Flourless chocolate cake studded with dried mission figs simmered in dark rum. Dense, fudgy, and boozy with deep cocoa flavor. Serve chilled with soft whipped cream for a dinner party dessert that feels effortlessly sophisticated.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
30 minCOOK
60 minREADY
90 minDried mission figs get a long, lazy simmer in dark rum and water until they’re plump and soaked through with boozy sweetness.
Then they disappear into a batter of melted semi-sweet chocolate, butter, eggs, and cocoa powder. No flour anywhere in sight.
The result is somewhere between a dense chocolate torte and a rum-laced truffle, with little pockets of sticky fig hiding in every slice.
This one actually improves after a night in the fridge, so make it the day before your dinner party and thank yourself later.
Pro Tips
- Use good dark rum here. Cheap stuff tastes sharp; something smooth and slightly caramelized makes the figs sing.
- Don’t skip lining the pan with parchment. This cake is dense and sticky, and it will fight you on the release.
- Let it cool completely in the pan before flipping. Patience is the difference between a gorgeous torte and a chocolate landslide.
- A pinch of flaky sea salt on each slice right before serving pulls all the flavors into focus.
Ingredients
Directions
With a small knife remove the hard bit of stem at the tip of each fig.
Place the figs in a small saucepan with the rum and water.
Bring to a boil over high heat.
Cover pan, reduce heat to simmer and continue cooking until figs are tender, about 20 minutes.
Set aside.
Grease botton and sides of a round baking pan - 9 inches in diameter and 2 inches high - with shortening or vegetable oil.
Line the bottom with a circle of parchment or aluminum foil.
Set aside.
Cut the chocolate into small pieces and melt it with the butter in the top of a double boiler.
(I use a microwave). Remove from heat and stir until smooth.
Crack the eggs into a large bowl.
Add cocoa and sugar to the eggs and beat with an electric mixer until blended evenly.
Drain the figs, discarding the liquid.
Stir figs and chocolate into the egg mixture and mix well.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake in a preheated 350℉ (180℃) oven until the cake rises to the top of the pan and feels set in the center, about 40 minutes.
Let it cool in the pan on a wire rack.
When cool, turn it out onto a rack. Remove the parchment or foil, invert the cake into a large serving plate. Cover it and refrigerate until ready to serve. Accompany with whipped cream.
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