Monday, January 14, 2013 · 20 Comments

Six Minute Chocolate Cake with Chocolate-Balsamic Glaze

I wanted a sturdy cake so I could slather it with chocolate-balsamic glaze, macerated strawberries and mascarpone whipped cream. I heard this cake was amazing and it made one 8″ cake, which is exactly what I wanted. It’s a great choice if you are going to be layering or decorating. It’s not crumby like other moist cakes, which can be a nightmare when you are frosting with a light colored icing.

As far as the six minute thing…that’s prep time and it probably took me 10 minutes, however, I’m easily distracted in the kitchen. The best part is…no mixer is needed, just stir and you’re done. Who doesn’t love that.

It’s hard to believe this cake doesn’t have eggs, you would never know. And I love that it baked flat across the top instead of having the “puffy middle” most cakes get.

I macerated the strawberries in a little balsamic and sugar to pair with the glaze. And I made mascarpone whipped cream with vanilla bean paste (which I love), but you can use vanilla extract as well. I just think the paste gives an edge in taste and I love seeing the speckles of vanilla bean throughout.

Print Recipe

Six Minute Chocolate Cake with Chocolate-Balsamic Icing

Recipe from: Moosewood Restaurant Cooks at Home & Noble Pig | Serves: serves 8

Ingredients

For the cake:

cooking spray
1-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (more for dusting)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup brewed coffee or cold water (I used coffee for a richer taste)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons white vinegar

For the strawberries:

16 ounces fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

For the glaze:

2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tablespoons sugar
1.5 ounces bittersweet chocolate bar, chopped

For the mascarpone whipped cream:

1/4 cup mascarpone
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 Tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Prepare one 8" round pan by spraying with cooking spray and dusting with cocoa, tapping out any excess.
Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and sugar. Don't skip the sifting part, this recipe needs it. The next part is easiest to do in a 2-cup measuring cup...measure and mix together the oil, coffee (or water) and vanilla. Pour this into the flour mixture and mix batter with a rubber spatula.
When batter is smooth add vinegar and stir quickly, the vinegar will activate the baking soda. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
For the strawberries, mix together strawberries, balsamic vinegar and sugar in a bowl. Set aside.
For the glaze, in a large saucepan combine vinegar and sugar over medium-high heat. Reduce by half to a syrupy consistency. Remove from heat and stir in chopped chocolate until melted; cool slightly.
For the whipped cream, beat mascarpone for one minute. Add heavy cream, sugar and vanilla. Whip until thick.
Serve each piece with glaze, strawberries and whipped cream. You can also pour the glaze over the top of the cake as I did in the first picture.

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