Chocolate Cake with Rhubarb-Strawberry Compote + Crème Fraîche C

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Heat the oven to 300F/149C. Grease two 9-inch cake pans; line with parchment, dust with flour.

Step 2

Roughly chop the chocolate, and move it to a heatproof bowl, along with the fresh hot coffee. Let the chocolate sit for a minute, and then stir off and on for 1-2 minutes, until chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

Step 3

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, the sugar, the cocoa powder, the baking soda, and the salt.

Step 4

Crack the eggs into another large bowl. Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment (or you can do this by hand, it will just take longer), beat the eggs on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until they turn foamy and a paler yellow. Slowly pour in the oil, the buttermilk, the vanilla extract, and the melted chocolate; mix until combined well. Add the dry to the wet, mixing until just incorporated and lump-free.

Step 5

Divide the batter between the two pans; move them into the oven. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean. Out of the oven, move the cakes directly into the freezer for 30 minutes; this makes the cake super moist. Out of the freezer, the cakes are ready to serve.

Step 6

If your rhubarb still has leaves, cut them away. Wash the rhubarb stalks, and chop them into pieces about 1/2-inch long. Move the chopped rhubarb, the strawberries, the sugar, the salt, the lemon juice, and the fruit brandy into a heavy bottomed pot or a Dutch oven. Mix everything together with a large spoon, to evenly coat the fruit in the sugar, lemon juice, and brandy. Put the lid on, and turn the range to low heat. Stew the fruit for 20 minutes with the lid on, and then remove the lid and cook another 30 minutes. Move the compote off the heat, and allow it to cool. (You can move the compote to the refrigerator, if you want to speed up the process.)

Step 7

Spoon the crème fraîche into a large mixing bowl. Add the sugar, and stir to incorporate. Pour the cream into the bowl, and with an electric mixer on the whisk attachment, beat the cream until it forms soft peaks. (You can also do this by hand, but it will be a workout.) Move the cream to the refrigerator until you are ready to assemble the cake.