Categories: Cakes - Frosting - Icing

Ingredients

• 10 oz. bittersweet chocolate
• 2 oz. milk chocolate
• 11 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup sugar, divided use
• 5 eggs, separated
• Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean
• 1/2 cup sifted flour
• Chocolate Glaze:
• 4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, heated
• 1 Tbsp. pecan bourbon, optional
• Praline Crumble:
• 6 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 Tbsp. water
• 1 cup toasted pecans

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Zap or heat both types of chocolate, the butter and 1/2 cup sugar.
3. Whisk in egg yolks and vanilla seeds. Whisk in flour.
4. Beat egg whites in a separate bowl with remaining 1/4 cup sugar to glossy peaks.
5. Stir 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate batter. Gently and thoroughly fold in remaining whites.
6. Pour batter into a 9-inch springform pan. Bake until the cake is springy, about 30 minutes. Cool completely.
7. Release cake and invert onto a 9-inch cardboard or cake pan round.
8. Set cake (on its round) on a wire rack. Set rack over a rimmed baking sheet, to catch drips. Pour all the warm glaze into a big puddle on top. With an offset spatula, nudge glaze towards the edges and let it drip down the sides. Sprinkle with praline. Let set at least 20 minutes.

9. Chocolate Glaze:

10. Place chocolate in a medium bowl; pour cream over chocolate. Let rest 5 minutes. Gently stir smooth. Stir in bourbon, if using.

11. Praline Crumble:

12. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a nonstick mat.
13. Combine sugar, salt and water in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Let bubble without stirring until syrup starts to color, 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; stir to a light brown, 1 minute. Stir in pecans. Scrape nuts onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let cool. Transfer candied nuts into the food processor; pulse to a rubble.

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