Recipes

Every Mother's Day, I like to put something on the menu in honor of my own mother. Since my mother's busy career left little time for baking, coming up with a dessert that represents her is sometimes challenging. One Mother's Day, in need of help, I turned to Caroline, my business partner, and pastry chef Kimberly Sklar for inspiration. They both began to reminisce about a moist chocolate-chip Bundt cake their mothers used to make when they were little. As they compared notes other staff joined in, starting a passionate debate about whether it was best made with mayonnaise or sour cream. Soon they had all worked themselves into a Bundt cake frenzy.

With all this emotional attachment to a cake, you'd think that someone out of the group would have a recipe. Alas, no one did, and we were forced to start from scratch. After lots of trial and error with sunken cakes, soggy cakes, and just plain bad cakes, Kim and I managed to re-create a stellar version of the dessert, using only the very best chocolate and substituting rich cup crème fraîche for sour cream.

Even if this decadent dessert wasn't part of your childhood, once you taste it, it could become a favorite, maybe even something worthy of being passed down to your own children.

NOTE The only tricky part about baking this cake is deciding when it's done. Unlike most cakes, the top won't bounce back and the clean-toothpick test doesn't apply. Press gently on the top to see if the inside is still soupy: though it will be very soft, it should not be liquidy or shifting from side to side when you move it. In truth, this cake sinks every time. While it's not the glamourpuss of the pastry kitchen, it's so rich and delicious you won't care!

5 ounces bittersweet chocolate (I like Scharffen Berger 70%), coarsely chopped, plus 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into small slivers
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus a little more for greasing the pan
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3 cup good-quality unsweetened cocoa powder
1¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
3 extra-large eggs
3 extra-large egg yolks
1¼ cups granulated sugar
½ cup crème fraîche or sour cream
Vanilla ice cream (recipe follows)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Lightly butter a Bundt pan.

Place the 5 ounces of coarsely chopped chocolate, butter, and vanilla extract in a small saucepan. Put the pan in the oven to melt the ingredients as the oven preheats. When melted, remove from the oven, and stir to combine.

Meanwhile, whisk together ¾ cup water and the cocoa powder in a saucepan. Bring it to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly to avoid burning the cocoa. Remove from the heat, and set aside to cool.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and baking powder. Stir in the salt.

In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs and yolks together for a few seconds to combine. Pour in the sugar and whip at high speed, 5 to 6 minutes, until very pale yellow and thick enough to hold a ribbon when you lift the whisk away from the bowl.

Meanwhile, add the cocoa powder mixture to the melted chocolate (using a rubber spatula to be sure to get all of the cocoa). Transfer the egg mixture to a large bowl, and fold in the melted chocolate and then the crème fraîche.

Gently fold the dry ingredients into the batter in thirds, being careful not to deflate it, but making sure to combine them well.

Pour half the batter into the Bundt pan and sprinkle the chocolate slivers on top. Pour in the remaining batter and bake 25 minutes, until the cake is just set but still very moist. Cool for 30 minutes, and invert onto a plate. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Vanilla Ice Cream

makes 1 quart

1 vanilla bean
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
4 extra-large egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar

Split the vanilla bean in half lengthwise, and, using a paring knife, scrape the seeds and pulp into a medium saucepan. Add the vanilla pod, milk, and cream, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat, cover, and allow the flavors to infuse about 30 minutes.

Return the mixture to the stove, and bring it back to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When it boils, turn off the heat.

Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a bowl. Whisk a few tablespoons of the warm cream mixture into the yolks to temper them. Slowly, add another ¼ cup or so of the warm cream, whisking constantly. At this point you can add the rest of the cream mixture in a slow steady stream, whisking all the time. Pour the mixture back into the pot, and return it to the stove.

Cook the custard over medium heat 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently with a rubber spatula, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan. The custard will thicken, and when it's done it will coat the back of the spatula. Strain the mixture, and chill at least 2 hours in the refrigerator. Process in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

More from Sunday Suppers at Lucques:

Halibut with Fingerlings, Fava Beans, Meyer Lemon, and Savory Crème Fraîche

Sauté of White Asparagus, Morels, and Ramps Over Polenta

Excerpted from Sunday Suppers at Lucques: Seasonal Recipes from Market to Table
Copyright © 2007 by Suzanne Goin and Teri Gelber. All rights reserved.