Chocolate Cakelette with Curacao
Nothing is subtle at Chef Allen’s, where Allen Susser combines brilliant tastes from Florida and the islands of the Caribbean into vibrant, colorful dishes bursting with flavor. His nearly-flourless chocolate cakelette is a fudgy soft cake laced with orange zest and Curacao. The cakes are baked and molded in ramekins, then turned out onto plates and garnished with orange supremes and bright blue Curacao. Chef Allen uses colorful plates under the dessert to add even more punch. Use blue Curacao!
Ingredients
- Bittersweet Chocolate - 1 pound, chopped
- Unsalted Butter - 1/2 cup (1 stick)
- Eggs - 4
- Sugar - 1 scant cup
- Vanilla - 1 tablespoon
- Pinch of salt
- Curacao - 1 tablespoon
- Orange - 1
- All-Purpose Flour - 2 tablespoons
- Confectioner’s sugar - for dusting
- Curacao - 2 tablespoons
Instructions
In the top of a double boiler over barely simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter.
While the chocolate and butter are melting, combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla, and salt in the large bowl of an electric mixer and begin beating at low speed until the mixture has blended. Increase the speed to medium-high and let the mixture beat until it has tripled in volume, about 5 minutes.
Take the chocolate and butter off the heat and stir to combine into a smooth mixture. Stir the Curacao into the chocolate. Set aside to cool.
Grate the orange to remove the zest and put the zest in a bowl. Trim off the remaining rind with a sharp knife. Cut along the white “ribs” to remove each section of the orange (supremes) and place these in a bowl. When the supremes have been removed, squeeze the left-over center of the orange over the zest to gather all remaining juice . Pour any juice which has collected around the supremes into the zest as well; set the supremes aside for garnish. Stir the orange juice and zest into the beating egg mixture. Continue beating.
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Lightly butter six 4-inch ramekins and dust with sugar, pouring out the excess. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet.
Stop beating the egg mixture and pour it over the melted chocolate. With a spatula, fold together; sprinkle the flour over the mixture and fold the flour in as you work. Spoon or ladle the batter into the prepared ramekins and bake for 12 minutes, until just firmed. Remove from the oven and let cool.
To serve: Run a sharp knife around the edges of the cakelettes and invert each onto the center of a dessert plate. Let stand about 1 minute; lift off the ramekins. Dust the cakelettes and plates with confectioner’s sugar. Garnish each plate with orange supremes and drizzles of blue Curacao.
