Death by Chocolate Cake
from RTsFirst
The original name of this dessert is Mississippi Mud Cake, but my
mom and I call it Death-by-Chocolate Cake.
2
cups unbleached all-purpose (plain) flour, plus extra for dusting.
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 large eggs at room temp.
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups pecan halves, toasted (I just use store
bought in the bag. They don't have to be toasted if you don't want them to be.)
Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Butter and flour a 15 and
1/2 by 10 and 1/2 by 1 in. jelly roll pan. (You can also use a standard cake pan
in this size.) Tap out any excess flour.
Sift the 2 cups flour into a large bowl. Add the sugar,
baking soda, and salt. Stir well to combine and set aside.
In a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the
butter, milk, and cocoa powder. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently until the
butter melts completely. Add the cocoa mixture to the flour mixture, whisking
until combined. Add the eggs and vanilla and whisk until blended. Pour the
batter into the prepared pan.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes
out clean, about 15 min. (I found that it would usually take about 20 min. or
so. It depends on the oven, so if it doesn't cook all the way in the time given,
leave it in the oven till it cooks completely.) Transfer to a wire rack ( DON'T
remove from pan), and let cool completely in pan.
Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze:
There are three diff. versions to this glaze, so you can choose either one to
use for your cake. The third version is for cheesecake topping.
6 TB heavy (double) cream
6 TB dark corn syrup
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
For berry flavor, increase the cream to 1/2 cup and use
6 TB seedless jam of your choice in place of the corn syrup.
For topping cheesecake, omit the corn syrup and increase
the cream to 3/4 cup.
In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream
and corn syrup (or jam if you use jam in place of corn syrup). Bring to a
simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Add the chocolate and whisk until melted
and smooth, about 1 min.
Remove from the heat and let stand until lukewarm, about
10 min. (sauce will have thicker consistancy at this point, but not completely
set.) The glaze should be thick but pourable.
Arrange the toasted pecans over the top of the cake.
Spoon the glaze over the top (a small ladle also works fine). Let stand at room
temp. until the glaze sets, about 3 hours. Trust me, it's worth the wait. If you
don't wish to wait that long, let the sauce set for at least an hour. It will
still be slightly runny, but will taste just a wonderful.
Cut into squares and serve, or cover w/ aluminum foil
and store for up to 2 days at room temp.
