We are starting with dessert first, today.
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Because it's Valentine's week!
Now, to be incredibly clear, I don't give a hoot about V-day. I fully get that it's a fabricated holiday to get us to buy chocolate and cards and flowers and makes single people feel bad and moms of elementary schoolers annoyed.
Oh shit. This is my first year as a school mom. Do I have to DO something for Beck's class? This is literally the first time I am considering this.
I just started hating Valentine's Day, fun real life train of thought for you there (not fabricated, ugh, wish it was). But also, I don't hate nice dinners. I don't hate cooking for people I love year round, and I definitely don't hate making lovely desserts. This gooey chocolate cake ticks a lot of boxes for me, the main one being that it is RIDICULOUSLY delicious and insanely simple.
Let's start at the beginning! I found this recipe for gooey chocolate cake on Food52.com's Instagram, which I follow to ensure that I'll never be thin. This is the path I've chosen. I thought about it long and hard and was also working, at the time, on an article about baking, which is decidedly not my forte. And so, I decided that my stance on baking is this: I like baking, but it will likely be years before I have a lot of time to do it. Day-long projects just aren't for me, but I really like the end results of baking, of course. Desserts, that is.
So I'm always on the hunt for simple baking projects that work every time and are just as delicious as if you'd spent all day on something with layers, also not a bad thing if you're into that. I tried this cake a few days after I found the recipe because I had all the ingredients on hand, bonus points for sure.
Here's how you make this Swedish gooey chocolate cake: you grab six ingredients: chocolate, butter, sugar, flour, eggs, and salt. Baking bars are great, chocolate chips are fine in a pinch.
The butter and chocolate gets melted in a skillet. When the mixture is combined, we turn the heat off and dump in the rest of the ingredients, and stir them quickly together so the eggs don't scramble, of course.
Batter goes into pan, cake bakes for 15, maybe 20 minutes. It's still decidedly gooey but not straight batter anymore. You wait for it to not be scalding hot, you eat cake.
It couldn't be simpler. I'd describe this as a cross between brownies and chocolate cake, definitely on the dense side. Because there is no leavening in it (baking powder or similar), it's a FLAT cake, so not the prettiest thing in the world, but trust me when I say that you will not lack for any of this "you eat with your eyes first" nonsense. Your eyes will tell you that this is a rich, decadent, wonderful chocolate cake.
Your nose will agree.
I can't say enough good things about this recipe. Here's the article that describes its history, which I always love to know about. I've made this several times since discovering the recipe, and love having it in my arsenal for a true easy baking situation, not one of those tricks where it's easy enough but also trashes your kitchen or the down time is 24 hours and so it's EASY but still taking up brain space. Nope. One pan, one baking dish, 30 minutes of your life honestly including measuring and washing the dish. Singular.
that describes its history, which I always love to know about. I've made this several times since discovering the recipe, and love having it in my arsenal for a true easy baking situation, not one of those tricks where it's easy enough but also trashes your kitchen or the down time is 24 hours and so it's EASY but still taking up brain space. Nope. One pan, one baking dish, 30 minutes of your life honestly including measuring and washing the dish. Singular.
You need this, Valentine's Day or not. Enjoy!
Recipe
Swedish Gooey Chocolate Cake (Kladdkaka)
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ sticks salted butter
- 7 ounces dark baking chocolate I use Ghirardelli baking bars
- 4 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cups sugar
- ⅓ cup all-purpose or cake flour
- ¼ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and grease an 8-inch springform pan.
- Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the chocolate and stir to combine until the chocolate and butter are melted together.
- Take the pan off the heat (turn the heat off) and stir in the eggs, sugar, flour, and salt. Stir quickly to prevent the eggs from scrambling.
- Pour the batter into the springform pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until the cake is bubbly on top but still jiggly at the center. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.
- Before slicing, remove the edge of the springform and cut slices directly from the pan. Enjoy!
Notes
[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Swedish Gooey Chocolate Cake (Kladdkaka) - A delicious, super simple cake with just six ingredients that takes 20 minutes to bake but tastes so special and indulgent. - salted butter, dark baking chocolate, eggs, sugar, all-purpose or cake flour, kosher or sea salt, , Preheat the oven to 350F and grease an 8-inch springform pan.; Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add the chocolate and stir to combine until the chocolate and butter are melted together. ; Take the pan off the heat (turn the heat off) and stir in the eggs, sugar, flour, and salt. Stir quickly to prevent the eggs from scrambling. ; Pour the batter into the springform pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until the cake is bubbly on top but still jiggly at the center. Let the cake cool completely in the pan.; Before slicing, remove the edge of the springform and cut slices directly from the pan. Enjoy!; ; - <p>Adapted from food52.com</p> - Dessert - dessert - baking - cake[/wpurp-searchable-recipe]
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