Over the holidays Santa brought me a new cookbook, French Country Cooking by Mimi Thorisson. The book begins with her story of moving from Paris to No 1 rue de Loudenne in the Medoc region of France. Mimi and her husband renovate a former hotel with historic notoriety, owned previously by a famous local cook and mistress of the richness man in town. The books simplistic recipes and lovely surroundings are reminiscent of some of the best French country cooking I have ever eaten, while vacationing in France.
The Salted Chocolate Butter Cake was the first recipe I have made from the cookbook, and can I say….. deliciously easy. The center of the cake stays slightly soft with the exterior having a delicate crunch. I think the recipe needs to be baked a few minutes longer than stated, but I will adjust the time for you. A light dusting of powdered sugar and a handful of fresh berries top it off and I added a little vanilla whipped cream for a decadent addition.
Ingredients
6 tablespoons butter, room temperature + more for the pan
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
6 large eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon fleur de sel or sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 pint raspberries
whipped cream, optional
(Serves 8)
To Prepare:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch Springform pan and line with parchment paper. Set aside. In a microwave safe bowl, add the butter and chocolate. Heat on high for 1 minute. Stir to melt the chocolate, set aside.
2. In a stand mixer, mix the sugar and eggs on high for 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and chocolate mixture and mix again for 2 minutes, until smooth. Sprinkle in the flour and salt and mix by hand, until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 1 hour. Unlatch the pan from the base and carefully lift the cake onto a cake stand with a spatula. Dust with powdered sugar and place the berries in the center. Whip the cream with a tablespoon of sugar and a drizzle of vanilla extract or paste, if using. Slice and serve on plates and dollop with cream. Enjoy!
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