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La Belle Cuisine

Chocolate Truffle Cake
Spago Desserts
by Mary Bergin and Judy Gethers,
1994, Random House, Inc.

Serves 8

“The truffle cake has become such a popular dessert, it is served
in all of Wolfgang [Puck’s] restaurants. It is the most requested
recipe and was featured in a New York Times article.”

Equipment

Double boiler and/or small heatproof bowl
Baking tray
Wax or parchment paper
Pastry bag and #3 plain tip
8 oversize muffin cups or
1 1/4-cup custard cups
Electric mixer
Rubber spatula
 

Truffles:
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet
chocolate, cut into small pieces
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flavoring of your choice
(Grand Marnier, Amaretto, raspberry
liqueur, etc.)
8 fresh perfect raspberries, optional

Chocolate Cake:
5 ounces bittersweet chocolate,
cut into small pieces
5 ounces (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter,
cut into small pieces
3 eggs, at room temperature
3 egg yolks, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon
all-purpose flour
Whipped cream, optional
Ice cream, optional

1. Make the truffles:  Combine the chocolate, cream, and butter in a
small heatproof bowl, set over simmering water, and let melt. When
almost melted, remove from the heat and stir the mixture until smooth.
Stir in flavoring of your choice and refrigerate until thick enough to
mound on a spoon, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.
2. Line a baking tray with wax or parchment paper. Scrape the chocolate mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a #3 plain tip. Pipe eight 1-inch
mounds onto the prepared tray. Place 1 raspberry in center of each
chocolate mound and pipe a little more of the chocolate mixture to
enclose completely. Refrigerate until firm, about 15 minutes.
3. Make the cake:  Position rack in center of oven and preheat oven to
350 degrees [F]. Butter, or coat with vegetable spray, 8 oversize muffin
cups (4 inches wide and 2 inches deep) or 1 1/4-cup custard cups. Line bottoms with rounds of wax paper. (to cut out the rounds, place 1 of the
cups on wax paper and trace around the bottom with a pencil. Then cut
the 8 circles.) Set aside.
4. In the top of a double boiler or a small heatproof bowl set over
simmering water, melt together the chocolate and butter. Cool slightly.
5. Meanwhile, in the large bowl of an electric mixer, with paddle or
beaters, on high speed, beat eggs, egg yolks, and sugar until tripled in
volume, about 5 minutes. Scrape in the chocolate mixture and, on low
speed, beat just until combined. Remove the bowl and fold in the flour,
using a rubber spatula. Spoon a little of the batter into each of the
prepared cups, top with 1 truffle, and cover with the remaining batter.
Arrange cups on baking tray and bake until edges of the cakes begin
to pull away from the sides of the cups, 12 to 13 minutes. Let stand
10 minutes. Invert into individual dessert plates and carefully peel
off paper.
6. Serve warm. Spoon softly whipped cream or ice cream next to
each cake and, if desired, garnish with a few fresh raspberries.
Serve immediately.