Chocolate Cake with Pudding (aka Brooklyn Blackout Cake)

There was a rough patch for me with stress a little while ago. Basically, I didn’t pass the first glucose test (pregnancy thing), and I needed to take the long one. It caught me off guard that I would need to do this and I was really worried about having gestational diabetes. During the next few days, I did a lot of research into it and found out it wasn’t as bad as I initially thought, but it still had some not pleasant effects (like increasing your risk for Type II diabetes later in life). Initially I had planned on making this cake because we were celebrating one year in our house. When I found out I might not be able to eat the cake, I held off. The same day as our house anniversary, I found out the good news that I passed every section of the test with no problem. Yay! Such a relief. After my happy tears were shed, I immediately got up and made this cake.

You might think it looks like too much chocolate. But you would be wrong. Because the cake is tall, you can only have small pieces before it fills you up, but it was amazing. I thought about making a standard Brooklyn Blackout Cake, but hadn’t made a tall cake in a while, so this was how I decided to do it.

I mean, what better way to celebrate not having to go on a low-carb diet than to have chocolate cake?

The hot fudge sauce was something I had wanted to make for a while because Joanna had raved about how good it was. I can say that it tasted really good on this cake, and I can imagine it tasting good on just about anything else.

There are a few parts to the recipe, but you can make them over a couple days if you need to stretch it out, so no worries there.

Directions for Chocolate Cake with Pudding (aka Brooklyn Blackout Cake)

Adapted recipes from King Arthur Flour  and Momofuku Milk Bar 

Pudding Filling

• 135 g chopped semisweet chocolate
• 15 g sugar
• Pinch of salt
• ½ teaspoon instant coffee
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 cup heavy cream

In a food processor, pulse together the chocolate, sugar, salt, and coffee until finely ground.

 

Add the egg and pulse until smooth.

Heat the cream to just below a boil. Add the cream while the processor is on, slowly pouring it and creating a smooth mixture.

Pour into a bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight).

Before chilling…

Chocolate Cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• ¾ cup cocoa powder (Dutch processed if you have it, or a blend)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• ¾ cup vegetable oil
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 1.25 cups water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a quarter-sheet baking pan with greased parchment.

In your mixer bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and coffee.

Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla. Beat on low for 1-2 minutes, scraping the bowl as necessary.

You might wish to add the liquids by hand initially. You should then stir in the water by hand.

Pour the batter into the baking pan.

Look at me in the batter! 😀

Bake for about 40-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out cleanly. Allow to cool completely.

Using a 8 or 9 inch cake pan and a 6 inch cake ring, you will assemble your cake. Use foil or lined parchment taped into a cylinder shape to build the sides. Cut 3 layers from your cake, using the cake ring.

You can also just make a 2 layer cake like I did, and save the rest of the cake for eating with ice cream later. Place one layer on the bottom of the pan. Spread half of the filling if doing 3 layers, or ¾ of it if you are doing just 2 layers.

Place the next layer on top (repeat for 3 layers). Spread the remaining filling on the top, then crumble some of the remaining cake bits on top.

Refrigerate for at least one hour.

Fudge Topping

• 30 g chopped semisweet chocolate
• 18 g cocoa powder
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 2 Tablespoons corn syrup
• 25 g sugar
• ¼ cup heavy cream

Stir together the chocolate, cocoa powder, and salt in a heatproof bowl.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together the corn syrup, sugar, and heavy cream.

Bring to a boil, then immediately pour over the chocolate mixture.

Allow it to sit for one minute before whisking vigorously.

Continue whisking strongly for 2-4 minutes until the sauce is smooth and shiny.

Remove the parchment from the layered cake.

Pour the sauce over the cake, letting it drizzle down the sides.

 

Directions for Chocolate Cake with Pudding (aka Brooklyn Blackout Cake) (without pictures)

Adapted recipes from King Arthur Flour  and Momofuku Milk Bar 

Pudding Filling

• 135 g chopped semisweet chocolate
• 15 g sugar
• Pinch of salt
• ½ teaspoon instant coffee
• 1 egg, room temperature
• 1 cup heavy cream

In a food processor, pulse together the chocolate, sugar, salt, and coffee until finely ground. Add the egg and pulse until smooth. Heat the cream to just below a boil. Add the cream while the processor is on, slowly pouring it and creating a smooth mixture.

Pour into a bowl, cover the surface with plastic wrap, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight).

Chocolate Cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• ¾ cup cocoa powder (Dutch processed if you have it, or a blend)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon instant coffee
• 4 eggs, room temperature
• ¾ cup vegetable oil
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla
• 1.25 cups water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a quarter-sheet baking pan with greased parchment.

In your mixer bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cornstarch, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and coffee. Add the eggs, oil, and vanilla. Beat on low for 1-2 minutes, scraping the bowl as necessary. You might wish to add the liquids by hand initially. You should then stir in the water by hand.

Pour the batter into the baking pan. Bake for about 40-60 minutes until a toothpick comes out cleanly. Allow to cool completely.

Using a 8 or 9 inch cake pan and a 6 inch cake ring, you will assemble your cake. Use foil or lined parchment taped into a cylinder shape to build the sides. Cut 3 layers from your cake, using the cake ring. You can also just make a 2 layer cake like I did, and save the rest of the cake for eating with ice cream later. Place one layer on the bottom of the pan. Spread half of the filling if doing 3 layers, or ¾ of it if you are doing just 2 layers. Place the next layer on top (repeat for 3 layers). Spread the remaining filling on the top, then crumble some of the remaining cake bits on top.

Refrigerate for at least one hour.

Fudge Topping

• 30 g chopped semisweet chocolate
• 18 g cocoa powder
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 2 Tablespoons corn syrup
• 25 g sugar
• ¼ cup heavy cream

Stir together the chocolate, cocoa powder, and salt in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, stir together the corn syrup, sugar, and heavy cream. Bring to a boil, then immediately pour over the chocolate mixture. Allow it to sit for one minute before whisking vigorously. Continue whisking strongly for 2-4 minutes until the sauce is smooth and shiny.

Remove the parchment from the layered cake. Pour the sauce over the cake, letting it drizzle down the sides.