Chocolate Cake - Page 3
During the 1970’s, chocolate cake lovers received a severe shock when the red dye used in Devil’s Food cake was linked to cancer. The use of red dye in the creation of Devil’s Food cake fell, leaving the unusually named chocolate cake to transform to deep brown - the variety most of us know today in the form of pre-packaged cake mixes. However, modern chefs using processed cocoa will often add a touch of red food coloring to their Devil’s Food cakes to highlight the authentic color of the confection. It may not make it taste better, but the appearance of true-red Devil’s Food cake is enough to make any chocolate cake lover’s mouth water.
More recently in the evolution of chocolate cake is the delicious and decadent chocolate lover’s treat, whose origin is of some question, called molten chocolate cake. Two chefs claim credit for the invention of the molten chocolate cake, a popular dessert combining the elements of a chocolate decadence cake (a flourless chocolate cake) with those of a soufflé. Though Jacques Torres has argued that this confection existed originally in France, American-based chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten lays claim to the invention of molten chocolate cake. Vongerichten explains its creation thus: he extracted a chocolate sponge cake from the oven before it was done and discovered that though the center was still runny, it was warm and possessed a good taste and texture. Regardless of whether he was the first to bake a molten chocolate cake, Vongerichten is responsible for the dessert’s popularity, which is now included on nearly every high-end menu at restaurants across the United States.
There are four main ingredients in molten chocolate cake: butter, eggs, sugar, and chocolate. The dessert is made by melting the chocolate and butter together; and then combining the eggs (sometimes separated to yield a lighter cake) and sugar into paste or foam. Of course, over-baking presents an occupational hazard to making a molten chocolate cake, as its near-liquid center (causing it to resemble a volcano; hence the name “molten”) is the main attraction for this cake.
Chocolate cake is, in some way, shape or form, enjoyed in nearly every culture around the world. There are endless recipe varieties for chocolate cake, from the straight-from-the-box chocolate cake mix at your local grocery store to the loaded cake, which can be made with chocolate chips, chocolate pudding, dark chocolate, or any kind of chocolate enhancement you can imagine. Chocolate lovers around the world will never turn down a piece of chocolate cake!
