I finally saw Julie & Julia a couple weekends ago and walked out of the theatre longing for a slice of chocolate cake. The almond chocolate cake showcased in the movie is Julia Child’s Reine de Saba, but it immediately made me think of her Boca Negra, which I’ve been dying to make at home.
It is a nearly flourless chocolate cake with the addition of bourbon. My favorite part of this recipe is the way in which the batter is prepared. It is incredibly quick and easy if you have a food processor. Rather than having to melt the chocolate in a double boiler as a separate step, the way you would for brownies, you can simply boil the bourbon and sugar and drizzle it over the chopped chocolate with the food processor running. The boiled syrup melts the chocolate and ta-dah, you’re all set to go!
I was also skeptical about inverting the cake onto a plate so soon after it emerges from the oven. At work, we make a similar recipe, but with a different method. It’s baked at a lower temperature until the top is glossy and just barely set. Not only do we chill the cake, but we also bake it in a springform pan, making it quite easy to unmold.
I followed Julia’s directions exactly–lined my pan with parchment, baked it in a water bath, looked for the thin, dry crust, covered it in plastic wrap, took a deep breath, and inverted it…and it came out perfectly!
a dry and crackly top....
fudgy interior...
It’s perfect on it’s own or with the white chocolate bourbon cream recommended by Julia…but I dressed mine up with some fresh raspberries and a dusting of powdered sugar.
Warning: this is incredibly rich. And delicious. You’ll want coffee. Or milk. And you’ll fight over the leftovers because…
It freezes SO well!!!! I wrapped and froze a quarter of my Boca Negra just to see how it would hold up and I have found myself sneaking slivers of it straight from the freezer. It keeps phenomenally well in the freezer and could either be brought to room temperature on the countertop or eaten in its cold, dense, fudgy, frozen state.
One Comment
Wow, that looks incredible. I’m not a big chocolate fan but my husband is and I love anything that freezes well (portion control!).
I haven’t seen the movie yet but I want to. I think I might have to wait for DVD though. Have you seen Food Inc. at the KY? That’s another one I’m waiting for DVD.
Are you, by chance, one of the chefs of the upcoming “Chopped” segment of the Bobby Flay food show? I noticed the solicitation in the Herald for sous chefs was directed to someone at Sullivan and I immediately thought of you. I entered and thought it would be so fun if I was chosen and got paired with you! I haven’t heard anything yet - boo ):