January's Recipe #1: Kladdkaka (Sticky Chocolate cake)

The finished Kladdkaka

The ingredients gathered together.

The Recipe: Kladdkaka

• 1/2 C all-purpose flour
• 1/4  C unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 2 eggs
• 1-1/3 C sugar
• 1 TBSP vanilla extract
• 1/2 C butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8-inch pie plate.
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt; set aside. Stir the eggs into the sugar until smooth. Add the flour mixture, and stir just until combined. Pour in the vanilla extract and butter; stir until well combined. Pour into prepared pie plate.
3. Bake on the lower rack of the preheated oven for 35 minutes, or until the center has slightly set. Allow cake to cool for 1 hour in the pie plate. Serve warm, or refrigerate overnight and serve cold.

 

This is right before I mixed the dry w the wet.

      This is the first attempt at a whole new cuisine, so I picked a relatively simple recipe to begin with this year. The only change I made was a procedural one. I used parchment paper to line the pie plate instead of simply greasing it. I ran into no issues with such a simple cake. 

     When eaten warm this is a gooey unleavened chocolate cake. The interior texture was reminiscent of a warm caramel or a thick shoofly pie interior. The top and "crust area" reminded me a corn flake's crispy texture. When it was refrigerated the interior texture totally changed and the inside became like a chocolate truffle. The flavor reminded me of one of those lava cakes that you get at a chain restaurant, but chewier. 
I think the ideal way to have this is either right out of the oven with some vanilla ice cream or if you prefer the truffle-like texture, I'd slice it into very thin slices.

You can see the crunchy top layer and the soft, gooey middle.

     I will be making this for the birthday day at work. I have not decided if I will bring it warm or cold though. If warm I will not pre-cut the cake. If I decide to go with the chilled version I will make relatively small slices to encourage many tastings. I will update this entry and say how well this performed. It would be nice to start the year off with a TH2 winner.