DARING BAKERS: Flourless Chocolate Cake with Ice Cream

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef.
We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

This month’s challenge is a Flourless Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Valentino, inspired by Malaysia’s “most flamboyant food ambassador”, Chef Wan. Recipe comes from Sweet Treats by Chef Wan. And what a delicious recipe it is.

This was a very good cake. I am not new to Flourless Chocolate Cakes so I added the challenge of making chocolate plastic. It sounds weird but really all it is, is chocolate mixed with corn syrup. It becomes very pliable and maleable. It is easy to shape and not so different then playing with play dough! Lots 'o' fun. I found the recipe at About.com. Click here to see the full story.

White Chocolate Plastic
about.com

1 pound white chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup light corn syrup
food coloring

Place chocolate in a microwave safe bowl. Place in microwave and heat for 45 seconds. Stop and stir. Microwave 30 seconds more. Stir. Do not over heat and it is essential to stop and stir periodically, otherwise it will burn and not change form. Once the chocolate is just warm enough to melt, stir until completely melted and add corn syrup. Divide inot portions for coloring. Let cool. Knead in hand and shape.

Part of the challenge was to do ice cream as well. I have made quite a few ice creams but wanted to try something without heavy cream this time. The result was pretty good but used WAY too much sugar. I will make it again but definitely bring down the sugar content quite a bit. Here's what I did.

Strawberry Frozen Custard

5 egg yolks
1/4 cup corn starch
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/4 cups sugar (dont do this, I think I would do 1/4 of a cup)
2 cups 1% milk (you can use any percentage milk)
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup drained and mashed strawberries

In a heavy saucepan, bring milk to a boil. In a bowl place egg yolks and whisk until they are smooth. Add sugar and salt to milk. Once milk is hot add a small amount to eggs, whisk in quickly. Keep adding about a 1/2 of a cup of milk. Once the milk is incorporated to the egg , you can whisk the egg into the saucepan. Cook and stir for 6-8 minutes or until mixture thickens and coats a spoon. Gradually stir in condensed milk and vanilla; mix well. Chill for 3-4 hours. Pour into an ice cream freezer. Add the strawberries. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions.

For the cake I used bittersweet chocolate. I poured it into a nine inch spring form and used heart shaped cookie cutters to cut out my hearts.

Chocolate Valentino
Sweet Treats, by Chef Wan
Preparation Time: 20 minutes

16 ounces (1 pound) (454 grams) of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons (146 grams total) of unsalted butter
5 large eggs separated

1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.
2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.
3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.
4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).
5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.
6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.
7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter. {link of folding demonstration}
8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C
9. Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C.
Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.
10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.