The secret to this over-the-top dark cake is great chocolate. Don’t skimp on the good stuff. By using high-quality ingredients, we have created a cake that is delicious year-round. The cake can be prepared and frozen (unglazed) for up to 1 month. Use a great quality extra virgin olive oil. We love Colavita!
Blackout Cake
Servings
8 Servings
Ingredients
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup hazelnuts or ½ cup ground hazelnuts about 1.8 ounces
- 2 tablespoons potato starch
- ½ cup sugar
- 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate at least 60% or more cacao
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 large eggs separated, at room temperature
- Vanilla essence from 1 scraped vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons extract
- 5 ounces 70% or higher bittersweet chocolate melted
- 3 tablespoons wine leftover red wine or sparkling wine or water, heated to a simmer
- 1 small bittersweet chocolate bar
Instructions
Cake:
- Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with a circle of parchment paper. Grease both the sides and the parchment with cooking spray or evoo. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Toast hazelnuts on prepared sheet until golden. Transfer nuts to a clean kitchen towel. Rub nuts in the towel to loosen skins. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.
- Transfer nuts to food processor with potato starch and quarter cup sugar. Pulse to grind nuts, or stir together ground nuts if using ground nuts.
- Melt chocolate with salt in double boiler. Add evoo and cool slightly.
- Whisk in egg yolks, vanilla bean essence, and nut mixture.
- Whip whites to soft peaks. Slowly add remaining quarter cup sugar, with machine running, until glossy peaks form.
- Fold whites into chocolate mixture and pour batter into prepared pan. Bake at 325°F for 30 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool completely before unmolding. Run a knife around the edge before removing from pan.
Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze:
- Stir melted chocolate and wine together to form a pourable glaze.
- Pour glaze over cooled cake, allowing the glaze to drip down the sides.
- Allow glaze to set up before garnishing cake with grated chocolate.
- Shaved Chocolate:
- Grate chocolate using a microplane or vegetable peeler over top of the cake.
can you substitute walnuts for hazelnuts?
I would suggest baking the cake and freezing it but saving the ganache to add on fresh.
Do you think this cake could be frozen? I am looking to make some things before the chag.
This cake really needs nuts, I recommend you try our chocolate mousse – http://www.joyofkosher.com/recipes/passover-chocolate-mousse-with-extra-virgin-olive-oil-2/ or maybe this sponge cake http://www.joyofkosher.com/recipes/passover-chocolate-sponge-cake/
You could try sunflower seeds, I know that my friend with a nut allergy sometimes uses that.
I am thinking of making this wonderful recipe for my seder, but what can I substitute for hazelnuts? Many of my guests have nut allergies. Thank you from Harrisburg, PA!