Back to The Baking Bible after 2 weeks away. The schedule worked out well for my planned 10 days at Walt Disney World, as Marie scheduled the apricot-walnut bread I'd baked last Thanksgiving and then a catch-up week, and I've baked everything to date. This week's baking was a little hurried though, as I was rushing to get to younger niece's diving competition. The Chocolate Pavarotti was a pretty good "rushing" recipe. It's a single-layer chocolate cake with a ganache frosting. The cake includes white chocolate to add moisture and improve the texture, and the ganache has some cayenne (either a mere touch or enough to get some heat) plus a little corn syrup for a shiny finish.
First let me note that the majority of my white chocolate was quite old, and didn't melt very smoothly although the taste seemed fine. If that's an indication the the bar lost some oil during it's time in my pantry (if that's possible without the bar's wrapping showing signs of it), perhaps that explains my cake's rather dry and very crumbly texture. I was careful to cover my boiling water-cocoa mixture to not lose moisture there, and I don't think I over baked it. All my tasters found it too dry, though judicious application of whipped cream seemed to help overcome that.
The ganache was quite nice to my taste. I used the maximum amount of cayenne, and liked the heat+chocolate. The folks next door agreed except for younger niece. Has her 6 months at college affected her tastebuds? :) I delivered 5 pieces for her to share with her diving teammates after the competition finals, and got back a texted comment that the spice was weird. She would prefer the full spice mixture of cinnamon and cayenne we've used in various "Aztec" chocolate recipes instead of just cayenne, and the only reaction I got from a teammate was negative on the heat from the cayenne.
In summary, not really a successful cake, and there's not enough promise here for me to try it again. The ganache was fine and did have a shiny finish to it, but for most occasions I think the classic chocolate and cream, without a separate step of melting unsweetened chocolate in corn syrup, is fine.
The recipe for the Chocolate Pavarotti is available online at the Guittard web site.
Love your picture of the cake. The ganache is nice and shiny and you were pretty brave to use all of the cayenne. I used about half because I'm a wimp.
ReplyDeleteTen days at Disney World! How wonderful! I bet you had loads of fun and some amazing food. That place is supposed to have really good restaurants. The chili factor seems to be an issue with the younger crowd unless they naturally like spicy hot things. I'm convinced the brands for cocoa powder, chocolate and white chocolate make a huge difference in this cake along with the type of pan used. We're too all over the board with the outcome for there not to be a variable involved. Wish I had a chemistry brain.
ReplyDeleteThis was not so much a foodie trip to WDW--we were celebrating the 50th wedding anniversary of some friends who are (gasp) not food-driven. :) The celebration brunch at Boma (African-influenced cuisine) was excellent, though. I'll go back in May and will plan a special meal or two.
DeleteHi Nancy: I haven't been to Disney World in about 20 years. Not sure I could take it for 10 days! Anyway, your cake looks great, I also found it a little on the dry side. I love the ganache, though!
ReplyDeleteHi Nancy, your crumb is beautifully tight and even. I didn't mind the crumbliness. All part of the charm I suppose. Anyway, congratulations on 50 years of marriage. Wow!
ReplyDeleteI probably wasn't clear--I've never been married, it's the parents of my Disney travel buddy who had the anniversary. (They are friends of mine as well.) I'm a tad young to have had such a celebration as well....
DeleteI also should confess that I photographed the side of the cake slice without the hole from an air bubble... :)
Deletewell, the side you photographed looks really pretty with a wonderful crumb. i never would have guessed it was dry. i'm with vicki, it's got to be due to the ingredients to have so much variability amongst us all. at least, that's what i'd like to think.
ReplyDeleteNext time if i go to Disney World, i have to ask you for advise!
ReplyDeleteYour cake looks wonderful and doesn't look dry to me. I too won't have known.
Nancy... how funny about your mickey vacation. Disney World is only 45 minutes away and I have not been there in years! - Not one of my favorite places to visit - I trade that for a beach vacay any day. (I think its the crowds that I hate)... Like you this one was a miss - the cake part of it, not the ganache.. that was so. very. good.
ReplyDeleteOh yes, I would have liked cinnamon and cayenne much better. My 17 year old called the ganache "weird" too. Oh well, we win some and lose some.
ReplyDeletePatricia @ ButterYum
http://www.butteryum.org/roses-alpha-bakers/2015/1/29/tbb-chocolate-pavarotti-with-wicked-good-ganache
Your cake doesn't look at all dry but the proof is in the eating I suppose. Your testers are all very honest in their feedback :)
ReplyDeleteב''ה
ReplyDeleteYour cake looks great. Sorry it did not turn out so well.
Cinnamon sounds like a nice addition. I'll have to keep that in mind.
yes, I saw that recipe on Guittard but decided to just use roses' for roses chocolate whatever that may be. I used Scharffen Berrger but next time may do Collection Etiene and Green and Black white and 1/4 tsp of another spice.
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