It’s rich, it’s dense and it’s chocolate—and that makes it the perfect dessert for me. A Bête Noire is the French version of a flourless chocolate cake.
Our friend, Gary, found this recipe for La Bete Noire on the cover (September 2006) of Bon Appetit magazine. It’s from the Wilde Roast Café in Minneapolis.
Here is Gary with his cake.
He served slices of this cake, garnished with fresh raspberries (he pureed some of them for the drizzle) and whipped cream. It makes a pretty Christmas dessert.
Just in case you are wondering, the recipe title is translated to The Black Beast.
La Bête Noire
Cake
1 cup water
¾ cup sugar
9 tablespoons (1 stick plus 1 tablespoon) unsalted butter, diced
18 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
6 large eggs
Ganache
1 cup heavy whipping cream
8 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
Lightly sweetened whipped cream
For Cake: Heat oven to 350°F. Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment round; butter parchment. Wrap 3 layers of heavy-duty-foil around outside of pan, bringing foil to top of rim. Combine 1 cup water and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk sugar syrup into chocolate; cool slightly. Add eggs to chocolate mixture and whisk until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place cake pan in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan.
Bake cake until center no longer moves when pan is gently shaken, about 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from water bath; transfer to rack. Cool completely in pan.
For Ganache: Bring whipping cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Pour over top of cake still in pan. Gently shake pan to distribute ganache evenly over top of cake. Refrigerate cake in pan until ganache is set, about 2 hours.
Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake; release sides. Cut cake into wedges and serve with whipped cream.
16 servings
Cake can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated. Cake: Heat oven to 350°F. Butter 10-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment round; butter parchment. Wrap 3 layers of heavy-duty-foil around outside of pan, bringing foil to top of rim. Combine 1 cup water and sugar in small saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
Melt butter in large saucepan over low heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Whisk sugar syrup into chocolate; cool slightly. Add eggs to chocolate mixture and whisk until well blended. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place cake pan in large roasting pan. Add enough hot water to roasting pan to come halfway up sides of cake pan.
Bake cake until center no longer moves when pan is gently shaken, about 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from water bath; transfer to rack. Cool completely in pan.
For Ganache: Bring whipping cream to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until smooth. Pour over top of cake still in pan. Gently shake pan to distribute ganache evenly over top of cake. Refrigerate cake in pan until ganache is set, about 2 hours.
Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake; release sides. Cut cake into wedges and serve with whipped cream.
16 servings
Cake can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep refrigerated.