How’s this for a decadent finale? My favorite ice cream for this sinful trio is Godiva’s Chocolate Hazelnut Truffle. If anything’s going to send you over the top, this will. Any good chocolate ice cream will do, but this one is the best in my opinion. Despite the decadence, this cake is easy to prepare; all the mixing is done in a food processor with the steel blade attached. For a lighter touch, substitute chocolate sorbet for the ice cream. When serving, place a chocolate truffle on top of the cake and suddenly your trio becomes a quartet!

Ingredients

• Butter for greasing the pan
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate morsels
• 1/2 cup blanched whole almonds
• 1 stick (1/4 pound) plus 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• Scant 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa
• Dash of salt
• 1/2 cup shelled hazelnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar, to sprinkle as garnish
• 1 pint chocolate ice cream or sorbet
• 1 batch Chocolate Sauce (recipe follows)
• Parchment paper for lining the pan

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.

2. Grease an 8x3x8-inch baking pan or ovenproof dish with butter. Line with parchment paper, then coat the paper with butter.

3. Combine the chocolate morsels and the almonds in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse about 10 times or until the almonds and chocolate are ground into fine morsels. Set aside.

4. Combine the stick of butter and the granulated sugar in the food processor and process until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, and continue processing. Add the reserved chocolate mixture and continue processing. Add the flour until all the ingredients are well combined.

5. Place 1/4 cup water in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring the water almost to a simmer. Stir in the cocoa and salt until dissolved. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly, then add to the bowl of the food processor, and process until well blended. Fold in the hazelnuts.

6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan or on a rack for 1 hour.

7. Cut the cake into individual portions. Place each portion in the center of a plate. To serve, sprinkle the cake with the confectioners' sugar, place a scoop of chocolate ice cream on each cake, and pour chocolate sauce on top.

Chocolate Sauce

• 1 cup water
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (see tip below)
• 4 ounces semisweet chocolate, grated
• 2 tablespoons rum
  

1. Place 1 cup water, the sugar, and the cocoa powder in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

2. Reduce the heat to low, then add the grated chocolate and the rum. Stir the sauce until it is very smooth. If you make it in advance, keep it warm in a double boiler over medium-low heat until ready to serve.

Variation: Instead of the cocoa powder and grated chocolate, buy a large bar of high-quality semisweet chocolate. Break into medium-sized pieces, place in a double boiler over medium-high heat, and stir in skim milk as it melts until you have the desired consistency. Once melted, turn down the heat to low and keep warm until ready to serve. (Note: The water in the bottom pan of a double boiler should not be touching the top pan. Otherwise, the top pan gets too hot and the contents don’t melt evenly.)

Tips

Dressing Up Sorbets
Peeling Hazelnuts