Surely the first question you'll ask is: Where's the fruit? I asked myself the same the first time I saw this dessert. A cobbler is a dessert with a base of caramelized fruit topped with a layer of cookie dough or shortcrust pastry baked. This dessert has nothing to do with the classic cobbler, but that's what they call it.
It looks like a brownie but it's moister, it could resemble a coulant but it's a bit firmer. This spoon cake is eaten hot almost straight out of the oven, accompanied by a good vanilla ice cream. It's a very indulgent and totally informal dessert, because it's served and eaten with a spoon, but we can also serve the baking dish directly in the center of the table and enjoy it with good company.
The hot dark chocolate and the ice cream melt in your mouth and become an irresistible sin.
How do you achieve that cake texture that's between moist and liquid? It's about preparing a chocolate cake base with a slightly firmer consistency than usual and once the batter is in the pan and before putting it in the oven it's drenched with a mixture of hot water, pure cocoa powder and sugar. To get the final texture the trick is to achieve a perfect bake. The cake should show a crisp outer layer but its interior should have a creamy texture.
Since this is a dessert that can be served straight to the table, the Emile Henry ceramic baking dish is perfect for the occasion. Its depth and soft undulating shapes are ideal for this recipe.
Luigi Bormioli airtight glass jars, Bérard wooden flour spoon and Emile Henry round ceramic mold
Ingredients
- 125 ml of milk
- 125 g of butter
- 125 g of flour
- 40 g of pure cocoa powder
- 200 g of sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
For the "bath" or glaze:
- 150 g of sugar
- 50 g of brown sugar
- 35 g of pure cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 300 ml boiling water
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Optional: Vanilla ice cream
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 175 degrees and grease the Emile Henry ceramic mold.
- Mix in a bowl the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. In another bowl mix the milk and the melted butter. Mix the two preparations with a spatula and pour into the baking dish. It's a thick batter.
- In a jug or pouring bowl mix the 2 sugars, the cocoa and the salt and slowly pour in the boiling water. Add the vanilla extract and pour everything carefully into the mold that contains the cake batter.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, don't let it become completely firm — the center should still move slightly when shaken.
- Serve hot with vanilla ice cream.
Luigi Bormioli airtight glass jars, Bérard wooden flour spoon, Emile Henry round ceramic mold and WMF stainless steel balloon whisk
