Mexican Gold Nugget Brownie Torte
Mexican Gold Nugget Brownie Torte
4 ozs bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup strong coffee
3/4 cup plus 1 tsp granulated sugar
6 Tbsp unsalted butter (at room temp)
6 large eggs, separated
2 Tbsp dried bread crumbs
Pinch of salt
1 recipe Ganache
1 disk Ibarra chocolate, chopped
1/2 gram 22-karat gold dust*
Set a rack in the middle of the oven & preheat to 350 deg F
Lightly grease a 9-inch round cake pan
Line it with a round of parchment paper or buttered wax paper
Place bittersweet chocolate in a medium bowl
Combine coffee & 1/2 cup of the sugar in a small saucepan
Heat over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar is completely dissolved
Pour hot sugar syrup over the chocolate, & stir until melted & smooth
Put butter & 1/4 cup of the sugar in a the bowl of an electric mixer & beat at high speed for 2 min, or until well combined & smooth
Add eggs one at a time, beating until each is incorporated
Continue beating, scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary, until light & fluffy, about 5 more min
With the mixer on its lowest setting, or using a rubber spatula, gradually beat or fold in chocolate syrup
Beat or fold in nuts & bread crumbs
In a dry bowl, combine egg whites & salt & whisk until soft peaks form
Sprinkle on the remaining 1 tsp sugar & whisk until the peaks stiffen to the consistency of shaving cream
Fold one third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then gently, but thoroughly, fold in the remaining whites
Spread the batter in the prepared pan
Bake for 50 min, or until the top is springy to the touch & a cake tester comes out clean
Cool in the pan on a wire rack
Turn the cake out onto a wire rack
Pour the Ganache over it &, using as few strokes as possible, frost the cake
Scatter the Ibarra chocolate over the top of the cake, then use a fine strainer to sprinkle the gold dust over it
* Gold dust is available at cake decorating shops
Ganache
6 ozs semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup heavy cream
Put chocolate in a small bowl
In a small saucepan, bring cream to a scald over medium heat
Pour the hot cream over the chocolate
Working from the center out, gently stir to melt & blend until smooth
Let the Ganache sit until slightly thickened, about 10 min
It should be spreadable, but still pourable
If the Ganache doesn’t have a smooth patina, blend in a few drops of cold heavy cream
A matte finish will dry to a mirror shine
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