"hit Me" Chocolate Cake Recipe
Liquid "Klondike", Roasted White Chocolate Ice Cream, Brownie Devil's Food (GF)
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Ingredients
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Brownie Devil's Food (gluten-free)
Roasted White Chocolate Ice Cream
Liquid "Klondike" (frozen chocolate liquor sauce)
Assembly & Garnish
Method
Brownie Devil's Food (gluten-free)
- 1
- 2
Melt chocolate and butter
Place the bittersweet chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (double boiler) or microwave in 20-second bursts, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
- 3
- 4
Dry ingredients
Sift together the cocoa powder, gluten-free flour and salt (and espresso powder if using) into a bowl. Fold the dry ingredients into the chocolate-egg mixture gently with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
- 5
Bake
Pour batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake for 22–28 minutes, until the edges are set and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).
- 6
Cool and portion
Cool completely in the pan on a rack. Use a 2.5–3 inch round cutter to cut 6 rounds (or trim to form 6 uniform rounds). Keep stored at room temperature in an airtight container until assembly.
Roasted White Chocolate Ice Cream
- 7
Roast white chocolate
Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F). Spread white chocolate chopped or in large pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Roast 8–12 minutes, watching carefully; chocolate should color slightly golden and smell toasty. Remove and cool.
- 8
Warm dairy
In a medium saucepan, combine whole milk and heavy cream and warm over medium heat until just steaming (do not boil). Remove from heat.
- 9
Melt chocolate
Place roasted white chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Pour about a quarter of the warm milk mixture over the chocolate and whisk until smooth to create an emulsion; then stir in the remaining milk mixture until combined and fully melted. Return to saucepan if needed and keep warm.
- 10
Make custard
Whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar together in a bowl until pale and slightly thickened. Temper the yolks by slowly pouring about half of the warm chocolate-milk mixture into the yolks while whisking constantly. Then pour the tempered yolks back into the saucepan with the remaining chocolate-milk. Cook gently over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, until the custard coats the back of a spoon and reaches about 78–80°C (172–176°F). Do not let it boil.
- 11
Finish and chill
Strain the custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl to remove any bits. Stir in the vanilla and a pinch of salt. Cool the custard quickly by placing the bowl in an ice bath and stirring until it reaches room temperature. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight until thoroughly chilled.
- 12
Churn
Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions until soft-serve consistency. Transfer to a container and freeze at least 2 hours to firm before scooping.
Liquid "Klondike" (frozen chocolate liquor sauce)
- 13
Make chocolate ganache
Chop the dark chocolate and place in a bowl. Heat the heavy cream with corn syrup just to a simmer (do not boil). Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let sit 1–2 minutes, then whisk until smooth and glossy. Add the butter, vanilla and pinch of salt and whisk until incorporated. Stir in vodka if using to slightly lower freezing point.
- 14
Cool and portion
Let the ganache cool to room temperature, then spoon into small serving molds or shallow silicone cups in 1–2 tablespoon portions (each portion will be frozen for plating). Cover and freeze until solid, at least 3–4 hours or overnight. Keep frozen until plating; sauce will melt quickly when exposed to heat.
Assembly & Garnish
- 15
Warm brownie base
Just before serving, warm each brownie round briefly: 8–12 seconds in a microwave on medium, or 3–4 minutes in a 160°C (325°F) oven on a sheet until edges are slightly warm but not hot. The goal is contrast between warm cake and cold ice cream.
- 16
Plate and add ice cream
Place a warmed brownie round on each plate. Add one scoop of roasted white chocolate ice cream on top of each brownie (or to the side if preferred).
- 17
Add Liquid Klondike
Place one frozen portion of the Liquid Klondike onto the plate adjacent to the ice cream or directly onto the ice cream (it should remain frozen until contact with warm brownie/air melts it into a pourable sauce). Immediately, if desired, tap the frozen disc with a spoon so it cracks and begins to melt and spread a glossy chocolate pool (this creates the dramatic liquid center effect).
- 18
Garnish and serve
Sprinkle toasted cocoa nibs or chopped toasted hazelnuts over the ice cream and brownie. Dust very lightly with powdered sugar if desired. Serve immediately so the frozen Klondike liquefies against the warm brownie, creating hot-and-cold contrast.