CREME ANGLAISE
2 c Half and half
1 Vanilla bean, split
-lengthwise
1/2 c Sugar
4 lg Egg yolks
CAKE
10 oz Bittersweet (not
-unsweetened) or semisweet
-chocolate, chopped
3/4 c (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted
-butter
1/2 c Unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 c Creme de cassis liqueur
5 lg Eggs
1 c Sugar
-ICING-
1/4 c Whipping cream
8 oz Bittersweet (not
-unsweetened) or semisweet
-chocolate, chopped
6 tb Plus 3/4 C creme de cassis
-liqueur
Fresh mint sprigs
FOR CREME ANGLAISE: Bring half and half to simmer in heavy medium
saucepan. Scrape in seeds from vanilla bean, add bean. Whisk sugar
and yolks in bowl. Gradually whisk in half and half mixture. Return
mixture to saucepan; stir over medium-low heat until custard thickens
and leaves path on back of spoon when finger is drawn across, about 5
minutes (do not boil). Strain sauce. Cover; chill until cold, at
least 4 hours.
FOR CAKE: Preheat oven to 350’F. Butter 9-inch diaeter springform
cake pan with 2 3/4-inch-high sides. Line bottom with parchment;
butter parchment. Dust pan with flour; tap out excess. Melt chocolate
and butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat, stirring until
smooth. Cool slightly. Whisk in cocoa and cassis. Using electric
mixer, beat eggs and sugar in large bowl until mixture whitens and
triples in volume, about 6 minutes. Add chocolate-butter mixture and
fold together.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake until top forms crust and tester
inserrted into center comes out with very moist crumbs attached,
about 40 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack 5 minutes. Press down on
crusty portion of cake to even: Release pan sides from cake. Turn out
cake onto rack, peel off parchment and cool completely.
FOR ICING: Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Add choco-
late and 6 T cassis; whisk until smooth. Let icing stand until cool
but still spreadable, about 15 minutes.
Place cake on plate, Spread icing over top and sides. Chill 1 hour.
(Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover, chill. Let stand 2 hours at room
temperature before serving.)
Simmer 3/4 C cassis in heavy small saucepan until reduced to generous
1/2 C, about 5 minutes. Cool.
Spoon creme anglaise onto plates, forming pool. Spoon reduced cassis
dec- oratively atop sauce and swirl with knife. Slice cake. Place 1
slice in center of each plate. Garnish with mint.
Yields
12 servings