How to Have Your Cake and Eat it Too (In Less Than 30 Minutes)!

I was looking for a quick chocolate fix and this is an easy recipe that you can make in no time to satisfy your chocolate craving! The book I'm using is the Red Cat Cookbook. The Red Cat is a New York City restaurant featuring American Noveau/Mediterranean cuisine. 

DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

With Chocolate Sauce and Dark Chocolate Sorbet

Ingredients:
1 1/2 tbsp butter, melted plus extra for                                      1 egg
  for greasing muffin tins                                                            1 egg yolk
1/2 c flour plus extra to flour muffin tins                                     1/2 c buttermilk
3/4 c sugar                                                                               1/4 c warm brewed coffee
6 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder                                           1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  (preferably Valrhona)                                                              Chocolate Sauce (follows)
3/4 tsp baking soda                                                           1 pint chocolate sorbet (or ice cream of your
1/4 tsp baking powder                                                             your choice)                                                                  

Ingredients for the cakes (minus the butter which was in the microwave)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Make the cakes: Butter and flour 8 muffin cups (I used a six cup popover pan to give the cakes some extra height. I also used Pam for Baking spray instead of butter and flour to coat the cups). In a large bowl, whisk the sugar with the cocoa, flour, baking powder and baking soda. In another bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolk, buttermilk, coffee, (I added an extra 1/2 tsp of instant expresso powder for more coffee flavor), melted butter and vanilla. Whisk the egg mixture into the dry ingredients.

Dry and wet ingredients

 Pour the batter into the cups and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean, approximately 15 minutes. Let cool slightly, then invert the cakes onto a wire rack and cool completely.

Before

After

Cakes cooling on the rack.

To serve, place an inverted cake onto each of 8 plates (or in my case, 6), drizzle with chocolate sauce, and set a scoop of chocolate sorbet (or your choice or none at all) alongside. 

I must admit...I had some chocolate sauce I had made previously in the refrigerator that I just warmed up. I just couldn't wait to make new. However, you can also use a store bought chocolate sauce or topping if you want.  This would be great with perhaps a raspberry or caramel sauce also. Add some nuts, whipped cream, whatever. Bottom line is you can make these little gems in less than 30 minutes.  Most of you will have the ingredients for the cakes on hand. Great for when you have company drop in on you with no notice!

Chocolate Sauce
1 tbsp light corn syrup
1/3 c water
4 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (recommended: Valrhona 70% Guanaja)
1 oz bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened) coarsely chopped (recommended: Valrhona 61% extra bitter)
1 tsp vanilla extract

Pour the corn syrup and the water into a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Lower the heat to low and stir in the chocolates till they are melted and the sauce is smooth. You should have about 1 cup of sauce. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool until warm but not hot. Stir in the vanilla extract.