Chocolate Pavarotti Cake

chocolate pavarotti with crème ivoire buttercream

Serves: 8 to 10

Oven Temperature: 350˚F/175˚C

Baking Time: 35 to 45 minutes

This cake was dedicated to Luciano Pavarotti, the only tenor I know of who was capable of reaching the F above high C to create a sound not of this earth, for The Baking Bible.

I’ve added white chocolate to both yellow and white cakes with excellent results of higher rise and moister, melt in the mouth texture, and suddenly it dawned on me that a dark chocolate cake might also benefit from this addition. This is the cake frosted with my Wicked Good Ganache, I made for my Music and Art 50th high school reunion  I overheard fellow classmates saying “it sings in the mouth” which was just what I had intended. For this posting, I frosted the cake with Crème Ivoire Buttercream.

Special Equipment One 9 by 2 inch cake pan, encircled with a cake strip, bottom coated with shortening, topped with a parchment round, then coated with baking spray with flour.

Preheat the Oven  Twenty minutes or longer before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Set the oven at 350˚F/175˚C.

Melt the White Chocolate  Use a small microwavable bowl, stirring with a silicone spatula every 15 seconds (or the top of a double boiler set over hot, not simmering, water, stirring often--do not let the bottom of the container touch the water) to heat the chocolate until almost completely melted.
Remove the chocolate from the heat source and stir until fully melted. Let the chocolate cool until it is no longer warm to the touch but is still fluid.

Make the Cocoa Mixture  In a 2 cup/500 ml glass measure with a spout, stir together the cocoa and boiling water until smooth. Add the oil, cover with plastic wrap, and cool to room temperature.  

 Mix the Liquid Ingredients  In a 1 cup/237 ml glass measure with a spout, lightly whisk the measured egg yolks and egg whites. Add the water and vanilla, and whisk until lightly combined.

 Make the Batter   In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed for 30 seconds.
Add the butter and cocoa mixture and, holding the beater with your hand, mash the butter and cocoa mixture into the flour mixture so that it doesn’t jump out of the mixer when beating. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 1-1/2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Starting on medium-low speed, gradually add the egg mixture in two parts, beating on medium speed for 30 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the melted white chocolate and beat to incorporate it, about 10 seconds. The batter will become very smooth after beating in the white chocolate.
    Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly with a small offset spatula. The pan will be half full.

Bake the Cake  Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until a wire tester inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs, and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in the center. The cake will also start to shrink from the sides of the pan.

Cool and Unmold the Cake  Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a small metal spatula between the sides of the pan and the cake, pressing firmly against the pan, and release the sides of the pan. Invert the cake onto a wire rack that has been lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray. Peel off the parchment and, to prevent splitting, reinvert the cake so that the top is up. Cool completely.

Finished Height:  2 inches.

Store Airtight: room temperature, 3 days; refrigerated, 1 week; frozen, 3 months.

Below are two of Woody’s test shots for The Baking Bible.
We wanted to make sure the Pavarotti offered a good alternative to my classic Chocolate Domingo Cake.

Pointer for Success
* It is important to cover the cocoa mixture to prevent evaporation, which would cause the cake to be dry. Adding the oil, which floats to the top, helps as well.

Complimentary Adornments
A buttercream flavored with white chocolate or vanilla
A chocolate ganache