Baking with my "original" nephew - Chocolate Orbit Cake

It seems like yesterday when there were no children in our extended family.  Then, everyone started getting married and we had kids!  I had my son 7 years ago and now I count eight nephews and nieces all under the age of ten.  My brother has 3 boys  and a few days ago, I had my "original" nephew, the 9-year old and oldest, over to do a little baking (with a teeny bit of help from my own little one).

A miniature, 6-inch, version of the "Chocolate Orbit Cake" (the holes on the surface reminiscent of craters on the moon)

We made David Lebovitz's Chocolate Orbit Cake, also known as Chocolate Idiot Cake because he thinks just about anyone can make it without fail.  It's a recipe I've wanted to try given my love of chocolate - and this cake is all about the chocolate.

The cake batter couldn't be easier to whisk together but I'm somewhat embarrassed to admit that I almost fell into the category of "idiot" when I baked the batter in two 6-inch cake pans rather than one 9-inch springform pan and things went a bit off from there.

There's nothing wrong with the recipe itself and, in fact, the finished cake is delicious...as in deliciously chocolaty and smooth like rich ganache.  However, I followed the instructions from my copy of Ready for Dessert which said you could make the cake in either a springform or cake pan and while that might be true, do not try to flip the cake back right-side up (like I did with one) if you invert it from a cake pan like the recipe tells you to do.  Maybe it would work for you but the risk is disaster in the form of broken/stuck-to-the-plate cake.  So my advice is stick with a springform pan and you'll have no problems whatsoever.  Ironically, I actually used the slightly different quantities (a little less chocolate and butter) in the recipe posted online and assumed the instructions would be the same as the version in the book.  I now notice after the fact that the online recipe makes no mention of using a cake pan and simply tells you to go with a springform.  What can I say?  You live, you learn...

Like I mentioned, we made two small cakes, which took longer than I expected to set.  The cake bakes in a water bath, which the boys had nothing to do with.  Since I have burn marks on my arms from the handles of the roasting pan (checking on the cakes, not knowing when my minis would be done), I'm glad I kept them out of the way (the boys were busy playing a videogame at this point anyway).  So, when all was said and done, I kept the broken but still delicious cake (the one I attempted to turn right side up) while the other made its way to my nephew's house for his dad's (my brother's) upcoming birthday.  My brother's birthday seems to make me think of fudgy flourless chocolate cakes. 

This cake is very much like eating chocolate ganache.  With only chocolate, butter, eggs, and sugar as its ingredients, you can understand why.  It is rich, dense, moist, and full of dark chocolate flavor - all characteristics I like but consider yourselves forewarned if you are not looking for something decadent like this.  I used a combination of semisweet and bittersweet Callebaut chocolate; make sure you use a chocolate you enjoy eating because the chocolate flavor really comes through.  Because of its richness, a thin slice will suffice.  I find it really scrumptious all by itself but a scoop of vanilla ice cream (proudly homemade, in this case) is always very nice and I find that most people find it a necessity to balance out all that chocolate.