This week, I decided to bake a cake. I’m sure I’ve mentioned before that I am not a big dessert lover, but this is a special occasion because next week, The Husband and I are getting married! It probably looks funny that I just said that, but he has been my husband all along.
We have been a couple for nearly a decade, although we’ve known each other for even longer. We met way back in the early 1990’s when both of us were fresh out of college. We bonded over our shared love of books. He wanted to be a writer; I had dreams of working in museums and restoring art. Fast forward 20 years and we’ve been through thick and thin; richer and poorer. Through my weird and terrifying illnesses, he’s been by my side. Through his very stressful job that took him all over the country every week for years, I’ve held down the fort. We’ve been through the fire so often our molecules have fused and we are made stronger for it. He knows me better than I know myself and so, when I told him I’d cater our small backyard wedding, he offered to pay for a therapist!
I’m a little harried right now, as you might imagine. Every day I think of new things that I have forgotten to take care of, but at least for this moment, I have one thing accomplished–I have found The Cake.
During the holidays, in the quiet moments before we decided to throw a wedding in less than thirty days, I spent some time cozily wrapped in blankets, drinking tea and reading Molly Wizenberg’s (creator of the blog Orangette) A Homemade Life.
What I loved about this book is that it is essentially a love story built around food and family and I am a sucker for a good love story. The way Molly knits a recipe into the fabric of her stories is nothing short of amazing. It made me laugh and cry and then it made me want to eat–radishes with butter and salt, bread and chocolate, Dutch Baby pancakes. I finished it in a week and loved it so much that I feel I can’t part with it. I’m going to have to buy it because I just got an email from the library politely asking for its return. At the very end of the book, at the culmination of her own love story, she writes about this cake, that she aptly names “The Winning Hearts and Minds Cake”. She baked this cake for her wedding and promised it would be easy, could be made ahead of time and even frozen. She mentioned the cakes weren’t “beauty queens” but spoke of their ability to inspire obsessive behaviors and cleaned plates; in short, it sounded like exactly the kind of cake that I was searching for.
So far I think I’ve done a fairly decent job of choosing a menu that I can execute, without executing the people I love. But I was worried about the cake, because I’m not a baker and I don’t think I can handle anything right now that isn’t absolutely foolproof. At this moment, I need a cake that even a kid can make.
Since there are no photographs in this book, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I read the instructions multiple times, not fully believing that 5 ingredients: bittersweet chocolate, sugar, eggs, butter and a minuscule amount of flour, could become cake. I worried that the 1990s would call and want its lava cake back. Mostly I worried, because that’s just what comes naturally when you do something crazy and unrecommended, like catering your own wedding dinner.
My fears and worries were unfounded. The cake puffed around the edges and cracked on top like a brownie just as Molly explained. As it cooled on the counter, it settled into itself and solidified, forming a slight bowl shape–perfect for putting something in…like berries! By the time I cut into it, the center had set and it didn’t ooze like lava cake. Its slightly wonky appearance is part of its charm.
This cake, like our relationship, is as perfect as it should be. Sweet like sugar, rich as chocolate and forged with just enough heat to melt our hearts and win our minds.
Molly Wizenberg's Winning Hearts and Minds Cake
Lightly adapted from A Homemade Life, by Molly Wizenberg
This cake may not have been born a beauty queen, but she cleans up well. Dressed up with a mound of raspberries and dusted with powdered sugar, it becomes downright fancy. The texture is silky and dense and the flavor is intensely chocolatey. There are no extra ingredients, like vanilla extract or coffee to distract from the fact that this is a decadently Chocolate Cake. My favorite part of the cake are the edges. They tend to flop over a little, which makes them easy to pilfer and shove into my mouth before anyone notices! Since this is such a simple recipe with so few ingredients, I made sure to use the best ingredients I had. I used the good butter; a block of Plugrá I’d been saving for just such an occasion. I also used Ghirardelli 60% cacao bittersweet baking chips.
- 7 ounces high quality unsalted butter like Plugrá or Kerrygold, cubed
- 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped finely, or use baking chips as noted above
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour
- Fresh berries, confectioner’s sugar or whipped cream
- Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of an 8 inch round cake pan. Butter the sides and bottom of the cake pan, then place the piece of parchment in the bottom of the pan and butter the parchment paper.
- Place the cubes of butter and the chocolate in a large microwavable bowl. Microwave on high for 30 seconds, stir and repeat in 30 second intervals until the chocolate and butter are melted. Alternatively, if you don’t have a microwave, place the bowl over a pot of simmering water (making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water) and stir until the chocolate and butter are melted.
- Add the sugar and stir until the sugar melts into the batter. Allow the batter to cool for about 5 minutes. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, making sure they are well mixed before adding the next egg. The mixture should look glossy. Add the tablespoon of flour and mix well.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and set the pan on top of a rimmed baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes and check the cake. The middle of the cake will be quite jiggly at that point. Continue baking, checking on it every 2 minutes until the center of the cake barely jiggles. Remove the cake and allow it to cool in the pan on a cooling rack for 15 minutes.
To unmold the cake, I followed Molly’s exact instructions. Place a sheet of foil on top of the cake. Take a dinner plate and place it on top of the foil and quickly flip the pan over. The cake will be upside down. Remove the pan and peel the parchment from the bottom of the cake. Then place the serving plate, or in this case, a cake stand on top of the cake. Placing your index fingers between the plates to avoid squishing the cake, flip them over. The cake is now right side up on the serving plate or cake stand. Remove the foil.
Allow the cake to cool completely, then fill the depression on the top of the cake with berries if you prefer. Sprinkle with confectioner’s sugar and serve with whipped cream. This cake tastes best at room temperature.
This post is part of the monthly blog event, Our Growing Edge. This event aims to connect food bloggers and inspire us to try new things. This month is hosted by Francesca at Fearless Kitchen.
Salty Sweet Life 
How beautiful, as is your love story with your guy. I wish you both the best ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so much Michelle!
Felicidades por los dos bando, por tu boda y por ese delicioso pastel.
Os deseo mucha felicidad.
Muchas gracias, Mercedes!
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!
Traceeeeeeeeeeeey!!!
Congratulations!
You guys are finally tying the only and that is just awesome!!
The cake looks amazing and so so touchable!!
Congrats you two, wish I was there😖😁😁
Thank you Dana! You need to be here at least to get out of the c-c-c-cold!
Congratulations! I love the molecules reference. We have the same kind of relationship. Easier together and any other way. Your cake is gorgeous, and I would make it for your celebrations if I was there. I’m going to have to get this book. It sounds great.
Thank you Julie! It’s been a long road, but we are stronger for it! I wish you could come! I spent all day yesterday making food and I was able to bake 4 of these cakes in a couple of hours! At least that part is done!
What date did you pick?
Saturday is our dinner!
Wow you have a busy week. Send pictures!
Baking a cake without a photo to go by sounds intimidating but I love the idea. It’s a true kitchen adventure. I can see the cake turned out perfect, what a lucky man your is! 😉
Thank you Christina! It is a little odd making a recipe without a photo, but it is kind of fun, too! Makes me use my imagination!
Congratulations, Tracey!! So excited for you. I have been wanting to make that cake since reading that book a few years ago. Thank you for the reminder! Might be fun for Valentine’s Day. Love that your husband offered to pay for a therapist…what a gem! Can’t wait to hear more about the delicious menu you devise for your wedding. So so exciting!!
Thank you so much Ali! I think it would be great for Valentine’s Day! It couldn’t be an easier recipe, in fact I made four of them Saturday night and put them in the freezer! I’m not sure if my menu is especially exciting, but hopefully it is do-able!
Gorgeous photos. I love Orangette and her book A Homemade Life. The Dutch babies bit really struck a chord with me, but I’ve yet to make it because I’m not sure my oven can get consistently hot enough. But your difficulty: easy note has me curious. Maybe I should just try it anyway.
Hi Genie! Thank you so much for stopping by! I love that book and I’ve made Dutch babies twice now, once using her recipe and the other time using a recipe from Bon appetit. Both were really great, and I think you should give it a try!
Congratulations again! The cake turned out beautifully! And I love that shot with the ingredients.
Thank you Lori!
I have made this cake several times as it is so good! It’s an easy recipe too, although the gymnastics required to get it out of the pan and onto a plate can be a bit heart-stopping. It’s worth it though! I’ve enjoyed looking around your blog this morning – great recipes and photos and cheerful writing – lovely 🙂
Chez, thank you so much for stopping by! I was really amazed at how easy this cake was (as you can attest)! I have also popped over to your blog and I really loved it! Stay cool out there!
I’m very bad at returning books to the library. I loved Molly’s book and now you have me loving the cake. Congratulations on the wedding! Nice to find your blog.
Thank you so much Abbe! It is such a wonderful book–I really loved it as well! You have to try that cake, it is fantastic!
Looks delicious! Miss seeing you pass by while in my garage working. Congrats to you and hubby.
Cindy! Oh my goodness I am so happy you popped in! Thank you very much and I miss you so much! I always think of you when I’m on my morning walk! Hope all is well and that you love your new city!
Wow that looks amazing, I am a sucker for cakes
Agnes x
http://blvckbee.com
Hi Aggie! Thanks so much for stopping by!
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