I need help!!! I'm showing you this catastrophe (believe me, I didn't want to!) in hopes someone will try this, tell me what they did to achieve success.
This is not the first time I've made this cake, only to have it fail. It sounds oh, so delish. (I saw it on YouTube. KCRA TV in Sacramento, California had the winner of the Ghiradelli Chocolate Championship at the California State Fair and she made this recipe).
Each time, the center falls, and is gooey. So I thought...hmmm. maybe more flour? Less Ghiradelli Chocolates (with caramel)? I tried 'em on this recipe and same results.
You know how sometimes you come across someone you beg for their recipe and it never comes out? It's like they leave a key ingredient, or step, out. Well, now I'm having my suspicions about this! LOL
I told my husband if it failed this time (THREE TIMES) then I'd never make it again. It did, but it does taste like a dream, so I'm hoping someone can offer some help and here's where YOU come in.
I'm going to give you the recipe (I'm not leaving out anything! LOL) and if you're brave enough to try it please get back to me, or blog about it and then send me a link.
8 oz (two 4 oz bars) Ghiradelli 100% Cacao Unsweetened chocolate
1 cup unsalted butter
3 cups granulated sugar
5 eggs
1 TBSP pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 bag (5.3 oz) Ghiradelli Chocolate Squares Milk Chocolate with Carmel Filling
1/2 cup toasted pecans, finely chopped
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray fluted two quart bundt pan with baking style cooking spray.
In a one quart saucepan over low heat, melt butter and both baking bars. Remove from heat when chocolate is almost entiredly melted. Continue stirring until chocolate is completely melted. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine flour and salt. Set aside.
In a stand mixer, on low speed, mix sugar, eggs and vanilla. When these are incorporated, gradually increase the speed to medium high. Beat on medium high for approximately 10 (Yes, TEN) minutes. Batter will be pale yellow and fluffy. Alternately add chocolate mixture and flour mixture to egg batter, beginning and ending with the chocolate. Mix until just incorporated.
Pour half of the batter into p repared pan. Place unwrapped milk chocolate squares side by side around the center of the pan on top of the batter.
Sprinkle toasted pecans over the chocolate squares. Pour the rest of the batter in the pan, spreading it evenly over the candy and nuts. Bake cake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes. Transfer to wire rack to cool for about 15-20 minutes. Invert cake onto servign plate and cool completely.
Before serving dust cake with powdered sugar.
I might add... it wasn't a total loss. It makes a great trifle! LOL
I wonder if it needs baking powder or soda???? Or if the 5 eggs and extra beating time give it enough lift?
ReplyDeletethat was my first thought is that there is NO leavening agent (to make it rise). I can understand why it would be gooey and not rise without that. I would add 1 t. of baking powder and see if that helps.
ReplyDeleteSuzanne
I was thinking the same thing. Something has to give it a lift especially when you are beating it that long it will incorporate a lot of air right? Which could make it less stable and fall. Just my thinking.
ReplyDeleteNo leavening agent I think.
ReplyDeletehave you tried mixing for 1 minute instead of 10 minutes?
ReplyDeletefor the amount of egg there isn't enough flour 1/12 cups plus the ground pecans have to be measured ground not whole which are you doing? and rule of thumb ,one tsp of baking powder for every cup of flour if that does'nt do it add more flour , I makes cakes from scratch al the time and I have I know that you need baking powder for sure you should try adding 2 tsp of baking powder for this recipe the ground pecans count for flour, I allways add ground nuts to my cakes and I reduce the amount of flour by the nuts but I don't reduce the baking powder.plus the caramel in the chocalate melts and it becomes to heavy and makes the cake drop that is another reason definetly more flour! A total of 31/4 cups of sugar counting the powderd sugar is way too much because you have all that chocalate and caramel in there no wonder it falls to much sugar not enough flour try less sugar total maybe two cups and a little more flour and the baking powder and let us know!!!! I will be waiting
ReplyDeleteI have no suggestions but my dear, sweet Grandmother always said the cakes that failed were the best tasting!
ReplyDeleteSounds really good fallen or otherwise! I would eat it. :p
ReplyDeleteI'd eat it fallen or not...sounds yummy. I have a friend who is super woman in the kitchen...I'll ask her. Maybe well try it.
ReplyDeleteI'll probably give this a try. I'll let you know when I do (I'll take the above suggestions into account.) But I do have to correct you - I'm pretty sure the words chocolate cake and failure, do not belong in the same sentence! :)
ReplyDeleteto be honest anything this rich and high in calories it's probably a blessing it fails! seems to me there's enough eggs in it to act as a leavening agent but maybe there's not enough flour. but what do i know? i'm not a baker...
ReplyDeletefound you on SITS btw...dianeswords.wordpress.com
soda yes
ReplyDeleteGreat suggestions everybody!!! I will try one more time, (in the future) taking into account all your suggestions!
ReplyDeleteAfter you have the eggs nice and fluffy, are you gently folding to incorporate the other ingredients, or are you beating them in?
ReplyDeleteOnce you have the eggs nice and fluffy, you will have to fold in everything else to have any chance of it not falling ...