The Kitchn: Chocolate Moon Cake
I've been involved in the creation of a meal around a very challenging theme: space. This dinner had been an auction item at a fundraiser for my daughter's school, and in addition to the space theme, the friend who ultimately bought this dinner also wanted to celebrate her partner's birthday. My challenge was the cake. The birthday fellow liked chocolate pudding and didn't want a "big birthday cake," and he was also keen on the idea of recreating a modernized version of the menu from Nixon's state dinner in 1969 celebrating the astronauts of Apollo 11.
After a lot of trial and error, I decided to turn to an expert: I asked my friend David Lebovitz what he would do. He told me about his flourless chocolate cake and how it develops craters on top during baking. How moon-like!
After playing around with my collection of disco dust and confectionary toppings, I found something extraordinary: Empress Pearl Dust. It smears on like eye-shadow and remains moon-scape-y for hours. This meant I could decorate my cake in the afternoon, hide it in the office, and bring it out to the celebrants at midnight.
Chocolate Moon Cake
Serves 8 to 10.
This recipe was adapted from David Lebovitz's Orbit Cake, found in "Ready for Dessert: My Best Recipes" ($24.99, Ten Speed Press)
10 ounces (290 grams) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
7 ounces (200 grams) butter, salted or unsalted, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
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