A Valentine’s Treat – Chocolate Truffle Cake

Chocolate is synonymous with Valentine’s Day.  This Valentine’s Day we have a delicious way to celebrate this day of love.  Sweet, rich, chocolatey, and gluten free too!Chocolate truffles have long been a gift of choice for one lover to give another on this day that Cupid shoots his arrows.  This is a cake that just might replace that box of chocolate truffles.  One way or the other it is sure to bring a celebration of love!

Chocolate Truffle Cake

1 lb. dark or semi sweet chocolate (use a good quality chocolate, one that has at least a 72% cacao content)
2 sticks of butter
8 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
Additional cocoa powder for dusting

Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line bottom of 8-inch springform pan with parchment and grease pan sides. Cover pan underneath and along sides with sheet of heavy-duty foil and set in large roasting pan. Bring kettle of water to boil.

Beat eggs with hand-held mixer at high speed until volume doubles to approximately 1 quart, about 5 minutes. Alternately, beat in bowl of electric mixer fitted with wire whip attachment at medium speed to achieve same result, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt chocolate and butter  in large heat-proof bowl set over pan of almost simmering water, until smooth and very warm, stirring once or twice. (For the microwave, melt chocolate and butter together at 50 percent power until smooth and warm, 4 to 6 minutes, stirring once or twice.) Fold 1/3 of egg foam into chocolate mixture using large rubber spatula until only a few streaks of egg are visible; fold in half of remaining foam, then last of remaining foam, until mixture is totally homogenous.

Scrape batter into prepared springform pan and smooth surface with rubber spatula. Set roasting pan on oven rack and pour enough boiling water to come about halfway up side of springform pan. Bake until cake has risen slightly, edges are just beginning to set, a thin glazed crust (like a brownie) has formed on surface, 22 to 25 minutes. Remove cake pan from water bath and set on wire rack; cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight to mellow (can be covered and refrigerated for up to 4 days).

Beat the cream with sugar, cocoa and vanilla.  Unmold the chilled cake. Using a pastry bag and a French star pastry tip, pipe the chocolate whipped cream onto the cake.  Start in the center and make a singular “flower” by piping in a circular motion.  Moving in the same direction each time, and using the same circular motion, make “flowers” to surround the center flower.  Continue making flowers to cover the top of the cake.  Fill in with smaller flowers to fully cover the cake.  Using a sieve lightly dust with cocoa powder.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Slice thin slices, this is very rich.

Happy Valentines Day!