Fudge Buttermilk Cake With Bittersweet Ganache
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Many of us prefer homey, mouthwatering desserts to those towering, complex constructions that appear on upscale restaurant menus.
Linda Olson, pastry chef at Betise, a bistro on Lake Michigan in Wilmette, Ill., bakes the full-flavored, old-fashioned desserts for which we yearn.
Depending on the season, her repertoire can include creme bru^lee, flourless chocolate roll with whipped cream, Champagne zabaglione or angel cake with fresh berries, persimmon pudding or steamed pumpkin pudding, to mention only some of the favorites that I have tasted over the years. Here is a sampling.
Fudge Buttermilk Cake
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Beat butter and brown sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down bowl; mix in chocolate until well combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing each well before adding another.
On lowest speed, add dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately, beginning and ending with dry ingredients and mixing well before each addition. After last addition, scrape down bowl. Mix until well combined. Transfer to greased 10-inch springform pan that has been lined with greased circle of parchment paper. Set pan on baking sheet. Smooth cake top with spatula.
Bake at 375 degrees until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean (top gets very dark), about 40 minutes. Cool on rack. Use small flexible knife to release cake from sides of pan. Remove sides. If cake top is too dark, carefully trim and discard top surface. Invert cake onto platter. Remove springform bottom and paper.
Ganache and assembly
Bring cream to boil in small saucepan. Place chocolate in bowl and pour cream over top. Stir with wooden spoon until smooth. Pour over cake. Use metal spatula to smooth top and evenly coat sides of cake. (Can be made a day ahead and kept at room temperature.)
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