Created by Gigi Burton, of Plainsboro, New Jersey, this cake won the grand prize of the Ghirardelli Chocolate 'Is Your Dessert Intense Enough?' contest.
Fool Proof!!! I made this cake the day of and had to improvise a lot because I'm in Honduras, but it turned out great!! I whipped the eggs by hand with a whisk, I used aluminum foil instead of parchment paper and lined the bottom and sides all with one sheet. I had major problems with my oven and left it in there way over an hour and even though the top had a huge bubble, once I flipped the cake and added the ganache it looked great! I took it out of the pan almost immediately after taking it out of the oven and let it sit for about 2 hours. I made the GANACHE with chocolate chips and EVAPORATED MILK and threw it in the fridge till the ganache hardened. EXCELLENT.....like I said FOOL PROOF! Thanks
Read Moresorry but we did not like this recipe at all.and there were 5 of us trying it.I made it look so nice raspberries and white choc garnish.made just as it said.very bitter and I love choc with the best of them. I even checked to make sure I bought the right kinda chips.I was disappointed.easy to make thugh
Read MoreFool Proof!!! I made this cake the day of and had to improvise a lot because I'm in Honduras, but it turned out great!! I whipped the eggs by hand with a whisk, I used aluminum foil instead of parchment paper and lined the bottom and sides all with one sheet. I had major problems with my oven and left it in there way over an hour and even though the top had a huge bubble, once I flipped the cake and added the ganache it looked great! I took it out of the pan almost immediately after taking it out of the oven and let it sit for about 2 hours. I made the GANACHE with chocolate chips and EVAPORATED MILK and threw it in the fridge till the ganache hardened. EXCELLENT.....like I said FOOL PROOF! Thanks
First, five stars for the original recipe. However, I was making this for a family party, and needed a sweeter version for those who dislike dark chocolate. After experimenting, I found that a half recipe fits nicely in a 2" deep, 6" diameter cake pan. Milk chocolate can be substituted for at least two-thirds of the chips used in the cake. Milk chocolate can also be substituted for the icing if you cut the cream in half (makes sense since milk chocolate already contains some milk). Whatever you do, Do Not Substitute White Chocolate! That came out so thin and sour that I thought the cream was bad. If you want a white topping, mix confectioners sugar with a little cream and vanilla extract.
Wow- this was restaurant quality good. My husband already asked me to make this as his birthday cake. As other reviewers recommended, I garnished with fresh raspberries. Also- note that this is a rich cake, so just a small slice will be enough to satisfy even a serious choc-o-holic! Thanks for the definite "keeper" recipe!
my husband loves intense desserts so i had to try this for father's day. i was intimidated by everyone saying the cake was foolproof, and there was a moment where i thought everything was falling apart. first i used a springform pan and i was really afraid that the water would seep in from the water bath, but i used foil in between to seal it and it turned out fine! also, i've never made a cake like this before so i had issues trying to figure out how much it was supposed to "pull away from the sides" and the part about being set in the middle, what exactly does that mean? surely not that a fork would come out clean because that would take even longer. i let it cook for an extra 10-15 minutes or so because the center was super gooey at 40 minutes. when i took it out, a knife certainly would not come out clean but i could touch the top without having goo on my fingers. i'm not sure if i overcooked it, but i do know that it came out amazing and my husband loves it. i felt it absolutely necessary to enjoy a piece with vanilla ice cream for balance. delirious giggles and chocolate coma ensued. he woke up first thing this morning and cut a whole 1/4 of the cake, and ate it warm with vanilla ice cream. it's super rich, divine even, and smooth... and a recipe i will keep and use forever. i guess i'll just have to ask around and find out if i was really supposed to take it out even sooner because if the cake gets better than this i will actually die.
Wonderful extra chocolately cake! My family and I loved it! I followed the recipe as written and had great results. I also used fresh raspberries to decorate the cake and it was divine. I did, however, have to use a 9 inch spring form pan because I didn't have a regular 9 x 2 round cake pan. Came out perfect! Thank you for a great chocolate cake recipe.
Mind Blowing Recipe! This recipe is just too good! I made it for my husband as he is a chocolate lover...and I am sure he is gonna love it! I have just baked it and its tasting soooo good! I had to bake it on a higher temperature for some more time as 325 degrees didnt suffice so I increased to 350degrees and baked for another 20minutes.... turned out awesome! Thanks for the great recipe!
sorry but we did not like this recipe at all.and there were 5 of us trying it.I made it look so nice raspberries and white choc garnish.made just as it said.very bitter and I love choc with the best of them. I even checked to make sure I bought the right kinda chips.I was disappointed.easy to make thugh
I recently went to a lovely B&B, this recipe was on their dessert menu. We ordered one to share (4 of us) and ended up ordering a second! When I came back home I searched the internet for this recipe! Should have known I would find it on ALLRECIPES! I will be making this for Christmas. It is a dense chocolaty dream! It gets 5 stars from me. A lovely elegant dessert sure to please a cocoa lover!
decadent and delicious, but soooo rich! Really you can get 16 servings out of this cake, it is like eating a giant truffle. Decorated with raspberries, but I am thinking crushed candy cane may also be fun for the holidays. My springform pan worked well.
It was really good! I made it in a square pan and it still turned out awesome!
This is quite good, but not as chocolatey as I'd have thought after reading the reviews. The first day, when it's a bit warm, it's at its best, in my opinion.
This was very good, rich and fairly simple to make. There is too much of the Ganache though. You could cut the portions in half and it would be perfect.
This was amazing! Followed directions to a T and added a few fresh raspberries, very elegant.
Made for a potluck at work and was able to get 16 servings out of it. A little slice of this is all that is needed. Very nice presentation and tasted just like a chocolate truffle and very dense brownie. Family loved it and stated how it tasted like dessert in a restuarant however only half got eaten at the potluck. Not sure if people were watching their waistline at work or if they chose the pumpkin pie over chocolate. May make again just for family gathering.
Absolutely delicious , I wasn't able to use ghirardelli bec I ran out of it. It was very rich and fudgy I didn't know u can make a cake without using flour. Next time I will make it again I will use a milk chocolate instead of semi sweet, bec it's a little bitter to taste . The only problem I encountered was when unmolding it from the pan. The water bath process makes the grease paper adhered too much from the cake I found it hard to release it.
I made this for Thanksgiving day dessert and it was so good. It maybe not so healthy for you but every once in a while you have to live. The cake is rich so when you go to eat it I suggest a small pieces otherwise chocolate overload if that's possible. As for the left over ganache I took it and heated up some milk and made some ver yummy hot chocolate!
Well, I had my doubts because of the simplicity of this recipe, but it just blew us away.This is far better than any other of the "death by chocolate" genre of desserts I have ever eaten. I made it in a 9" springform pan which I sealed with foil in the water bath. We actually kept it in the refrigerator for 5 days before trying it. (Long story). It unmolded without dipping it in warm water. The ganache is rather thin but coats it nicely. I wanted to have it with fresh raspberries, but they had spoiled. Next time!! This will be my go to company dessert now. Thanks Gigi!!
I made this for Thanksgiving as a surprise for my Dad and another family member who are complete chocoholics. Everyone seemed to think in was pretty good, my dad said "if it's chocolate it has to be good." However, I felt like it was missing something. Overall, it was pretty easy to make with just a few ingredients so I will probably make it again if the chocoholics ask for it.
This cake is absolutely fabulous! I made it for a holiday party and it was such a hit. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out perfectly and looked just like the picture. I added fresh raspberries (NOT frozen!) to line the outer rim of the cake which added a festive touch and flavor. Will definitely be repeating this one.
An unbelievable cake! Nirvana for chocoholics! Worth every second of time and every ounce of effort. If you want to impress someone, make this cake!
This was my first time baking with a water bath method and it was very easy! My cake turned out wonderfully, but I barely used 1/4 ounce of white chocolate for the shavings. It also traveled surprisingly well--I had a 3 hr drive to Thanksgiving. Very, very rich! Start with a small slice!
Anyone else have a problem with spots of "something" inside the cake after it's baked? Mine tasted great and baked up nicely but it had small globs of something all through it. They didn't taste bad and if you squished them between your fingers they spread around easily but I have no idea what they would have been. Eggs maybe? Just can't see how the eggs wouldn't have gotten mixed in well. Anyway, the cake is great and the ganache is easy and amazing as well.
Absolutely decadent! Followed the recipe exactly, except that I didn't have a 2" deep circular pan, so I just divided it into two 1" deep pans. I forgot to take this into consideration in the cooking time...still baked it for 40 minutes and was worried that it would be dry, but no! It was incredibly moist and chocolaty! A++
Absolutely fantastic! I made it exactly as written. Super rich and chocolately - I had to take some to the neighbors so I wouldn't eat it all!
Great recipe. I folded in fresh strawberries and topped it with Chocolate Ganache and Strawberries with White Chocolate drizzle. Delicious.
All I can say is WOW. Extremely decadent, rich, sinful cake. But not so much cake as it is fudgy consistency. Still delicious...but oh so bad for you! I added fresh raspberries! Definately a special occasion treat. I made this cake and brought it to work as I want to make it for Valentine's Day for my boyfriend. (see my heart shape pic) One lady had 3 pieces... another coworker said it was "better than s-x". I am wondering if anyone has tried to lighten this up a bit (heart attack dripping in chocolate)? Maybe half the amount of eggs and use 4 egg whites + 4 whole eggs... and instead of butter use a vegetable butter spread. Maybe next time, I will try.
amazing!!! time consuming but worth it. does not make good left overs for more then two days. will make this again!!
This is one of the best and easiest desserts I have ever made. I used generic chips though and it still came out great! Agree with other reviewers that you can only eat a very slim piece in one sitting. VERY rich and filling. But oh my gish, a chocolate lover's dream!!!
Whoa. This is seriously decadent and rich for all it's ease of making. I followed this recipe to a T, and it was PERFECT. I hid the fact about the calories; and the birthday party I made it for went crazy over it. Literally, there was no shortage of praise for this cake and I have to make it again for the birthday this year. One note: cut into 16ths, not 8ths. It was so rich some people couldn't finish their slice -- and it does hold together very well where you can make the slices smaller.
Made this for a birthday party and I was a bit nervous to try it for the 1st time in case it was a flop and we ended up with no cake. I thought this was soooo good but a couple of chocolate lovers in my family said it was good but not outstanding- very surprising. So to be fair I gave it a 4. Mine baked in about 45 minutes. I spread the ganache on slowly so I could get more on. Definitely a rich desert- nothing like cake- just a slice of truffle. My mom said it was maybe a bit over the top for her- WHAT??!! I can't believe it since she LOVES chocolate. Oh well, I will make it again for sure- maybe for a different crowd who knows a good rich chocolate desert when they bite into one :) Oh, and I had to kind of balance the cake pan on the edges of a 9X13 pan for the water bath so the bottom of the cake pan was just floating in the water- worked great though!
Coming from someone who hates cake this was delicious. I made this for my son and boyfriend for Valentines Day and they loved it! I didn't quite have enough semi-sweet chips so I had to use some of the milk chocolate chips and it turned out fine. Also, I didn't have parchment paper so I greased wax paper and used that instead. This is a very intensely sweet dessert and a very small piece should suffice. The only thing I kind of disliked was the cocoa powder taste. Next time I think I'll try using milk chocolate instead of semi-sweets. Overall, this was excellent and is the only cake that I'd be willing to eat again.
wow!! this cake is INCREDIBLE!! it is so amazing - no words can really describe the deliciousness that is this cake!! the only thing i did differently was grate a few white chocolate chips, as i didn't have a bar on hand...after consuming two pieces, i went back and had a peek at the calorie content and silently screamed inside (hehe)..but this is definitely one cake i am willing to consume extra :)
Heavenly! I added sliced strawberries to the top, and I can't stop eating it!
Really a great choice for a chocolate lover. It. Is easy to make and really does not take much effort. When making it the first time I forgot to add the butter but the cake came out good it was just dryer than it would have been. The second day the butter less cake was really good. The second attempt with butter was good as well
This was delicious and smooth as long as it was chilled. Unfortunately, it sat out for quite awhile at a buffet function before it was served and I was not impressed though everyone seemed to like it. Once leftovers went into the fridge and came out again, it was wonderful.
This was delicious! I made it 3 days in advance for my husband's birthday, made the ganache the day of. I recommend eating it with whip cream and raspberries. Not only for the taste...but because the chocolate cake by itself isn't too pretty. Six people barely finished half of this cake. And all wanted more whip cream.
This is wonderful! I don't bother with the white chocolate on top and we don't miss it all. This is easy and simple to make with a result that is better than many 5 star restaurants!
This was one of the richest and most decadant cakes I've ever made. Fairly simple, turns out well, but uses just about every type of chocolate you might think of. Great for a rich chocolate lover, not so much for anyone else.
So chocolatey and easy to make. Make sure to use milk chocolate chips or bars for the ganache or the whole thing would be a bit too bitter for kids (I used 72%, which I love).
My husband surprised me with this cake for my birthday, wow! Very rich and dense and so so delicious. The only tweak he made was a little less sugar.
I chose this recipe for my husband to make for my birthday cake because I'm a chocoholic. He is no chef, but he can follow directions. It turned out great. Very chocolatey. Everyone we shared some with said it was delicious.
Followed directions exactly. Great for those who love chocolate. Very much like a truffle- VERY, very dense and rich with chocolate flavor, but not too sweet. Needs ice cream and toasted walnuts as topping on very thin slices, as it is a very heavy dessert.
I baked this for my birthday. I liked this cake but it was just too much. I very small piece is plenty. I did not use white chocolate but I grated some Ghiradelli dark chocolate over the time. I used buttered pecans to decorate and we served with strawberries. Everyone raved about it. I took leftovers to work and several people wanted the recipe to make for Christmas. While I liked it I am not sure I would make it again unless someone requested it. Like I said, it was just too much chocolate.
OMG the best chocolate cake ever!!!! It's very rich and Chocolaty, I would not change a thing, well maybe have it with a glass of milk, lol. Great recipe, I have made it twice and everybody loved it!!!
My favorite dessert in the world is the chocolate souffle cake at California Pizza Kitchen and I have not been able to find a recipe to duplicate it. This one comes as close as I have found and is delalalicious! I hate milk and white chocolate, so only used dark/semi-sweet chocolate for everything and served it with a scoop of high-quality vanilla ice-cream. My entire family LOVED it and agreed that it was very close to our beloved Chocolate Souffle Cake from CPK. Now if I can just find a recipe that duplicates the bed of light whipped vanilla cream it rests on :)
It was great! So easy! I actually refrigerated it for 6 hrs during the day because my family and I wanted to eat it on Christmas day :) Really moist
Wow, was this wonderful! I didn't use Ghirardelli chocolate but used Hershey's dark chocolate chips and Nestle milk chocolate chips. I made it for Christmas and the family just raved over it. It was easy to make and so rich and creamy. I sprinkled powdered sugar over the top instead of the white chocolate shavings since I don't have a good grater to use. This will definitely be one of my favorite desserts to make from now on.
Definite winner. Made it for our dinner group and it was a hit. Everyone asked for recipe. Used a springform pan. Don't think it would have worked as well in a 9" pan.
I have always loved chocolate truffle anything, but never investigated making it myself. Boy, have I been missing out! This recipe was simple and easy! Better yet, the family loved it and we decided to make it our go to fancy dessert! THANKS!
this cake was nice but it tasted like it needed something more. a quite odd taste maybe it needed to be sweeter
This is the cake I have been waiting for all my life. It is absolutely delicious and so simple to make. It almost has the consistency of a cheesecake, but with a much richer flavor. I topped it with homemade whipped cream and it was the perfect combination. I also think this cake would make a great base layer to a layer cake. I definitely have plans to experiment with this recipe to make more scrumptious desserts.
