This Warm, dark chocolate, mini cake with brandy soaked apricots and caramel sauce… well, it would hardly fit that bill.

I’ve been craving apricots (brandicots) and caramel for a long time now.. Chocolate just seemed the best base for the two flavours…

Coming in at Four inches across, this cake is perfect for two people…

of course, a full batch actually makes four of them, but whatever. Thats what the freezer is for… And dinner parties…

One thing I wish I had right now… A big scoop of vanilla ice cream.

..Of course, I feel that way after I make any dessert, so maybe I should look into making some more ice cream this summer. hehe.. Who’da thunk it?! *smile*

On with the recipe!

A few days before you plan on making this cake, you’ll want to get working on the apricots.

Brandy soaked apricots-

4 fresh, ripe apricots
1/2 cup water
1 cup sugar
Brandy (just enough to cover the fruit, so probably only a cup or two)

In a medium saucepan, add the sugar and the water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved, bring the syrup to a boil. As soon as the mixture begins a rolling boil, remove from heat. Cool completely.

Once the sugar syrup has cooled completely, cut the apricots in half and put them in the pot with the sugar syrup. Stir them around until they’re completely coated, then pour them into a wide, shallow resealable container, like tupperware. make sure the apricot halves are all completely covered with syrup.

Pour the brandy over the apricots, Seal the container and give it a good shake then make sure that no part of the apricots are extending out of the brandy, only pour enough over top to cover them. Seal the container and place in the refrigerator for 2 days or so, probably not more than a week. (I’m sure they’d be ok after that, but I don’t know how much longer)

When you’re ready to use them, simply use a slotted spoon to remove them from the liquid.

The chocolate cake recipe is a simple, dense dark chocolate cake. It tastes better warm, to me, but it doesn’t have to be served warm.

2 cups sugar
1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup powdered dark cocoa
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour 4 4″ round pans (spring form, if you have them) or 2 8″ round pans.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool slightly, about 10 minutes. If you’re using the 4″ rounds, cut each cake in half, horizontally. If you’re using 2 8″ rounds, level one of the cake tops, and use the other cake as the top of the whole cake (the 4″ cake rounds will be taller than the 8″ rounds, so the 4″ cakes are 4 separate cakes, whereas the 8″ cakes will be one whole cake.)

Fill with apricots, sliced medium thickness, top with hot caramel sauce. Replace the top of the cake, top with hot caramel sauce and a few chocolate shavings. Serve with a spoon. Inhale.

Or, serve with a big ol scoop of vanilla ice cream. Inhale. Either way. *smile*

If you want to use my caramel recipe go here-
Otherwise, quick! start making this before you drool yourself to death!

-A.

P.S. it doesn’t have to be made with brandy soaked apricots, plain apricots will do just fine. *smile*

This entry was posted on Saturday, March 1st, 2008 at 2:15 am and is filed under June 2007. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.