Serano Chocolate Cake Recipes

OLD-FASHIONED CHOCOLATE CAKE - SOKOLATOPITA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180°C / 356°F.
• In a bowl stir together the flour and cocoa and set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar until slightly foamy and thickened.
• Sift half the flour mixture into the eggs using a sifter.
• In a small bowl whisk together the milk, baking powder, baking soda, and brandy. Pour mixture into the cake batter and stir well. Then sift the remaining half flour mixture into the batter and stir well to combine. Pour in the melted butter and stir to combine.
• Grease a round 10-inch / 26 cm pan with some oil or butter.
• Add the cake batter in the pan and spread evenly with a spoon. Bake for 15 minutes or until when you prick the cake in the center with a knife, the knife comes out clean.
• While the cake is baking make the syrup. In a saucepan add the sugar and water and bring to a boil.
• Cook the syrup for 5-10 minutes until it thickens slightly. No need to stir while it boils.
• Remove from heat and whisk in the cocoa powder.
• Once the cake is baked, divide it into 8 or more pieces. Using a ladle, pour the hot syrup over the cake while it's still hot in the pan. If the syrup looks like a lot, no worries the cake will soak it all up as it cools down.
• Let cake reach room temperature and then refrigerate ideally overnight. DO NOT add this cake in the fridge while it's still hot. As the syrup will crystalize.

SERANO CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9-inch cake pan or line it with parchment paper.
• Sift the flour and cocoa powder together and set aside. Combine the eggs and 3/4 cup sugar in a mixing bowl and beat until very thick, about three minutes. Use a spatula to carefully fold in the flour mixture. Gently scoop the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the top springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to cool completely on a wire rack.
• To make the simple syrup, bring 1/2 cup water and 3/4 cup sugar to a boil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
• To make the Italian meringue, combine 1/4 cup water with the 7/8 cup of sugar in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar (don't stir once the mixture begins to boil). Use a candy thermometer and bring the sugar to the soft ball stage (240 degrees F/115 degrees C). While the sugar is boiling, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until soft peaks form.
• When the boiling sugar syrup has nearly reached soft ball stage, increase the mixing speed for the egg whites to high. Carefully pour the hot sugar syrup into the egg whites between the beaters and the side of the bowl. Continue beating on high speed until the meringue has cooled to room temperature.
• Melt the bittersweet chocolate in the top of a double boiler over just-barely simmering water, stirring frequently and scraping down the sides with a rubber spatula to avoid scorching, just until melted. Remove from heat and allow to cool until the chocolate is room temperature but still fluid.
• Whip the 1 3/4 cups cream until medium-stiff peaks form.
• Use a rubber spatula to fold the melted chocolate into the egg white meringue. Add 1/3 cup of room-temperature cream and mix gently until blended. Fold 1/3 of the whipped cream into the chocolate meringue mixture to lighten it; then gently fold in the remaining 2/3 of the whipped cream.
• To assemble the cake, split the sponge cake into two layers. Set one cake layer on a turntable or plate. Brush the cake well with the simple syrup. The cake will literally act as a sponge and absorb the syrup, which will keep it from being dry. Spread 1/3 of the chocolate cream on the cake, and top it with the second cake layer. Repeat with the syrup and the cream. Spread the remaining chocolate cream on the sides of the cake. Refrigerate until serving.