Chocolate-Pecan Cake With Tropical-Fruit Custard Sauce

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Step 2

   Butter the inside of a nine-inch cake pan. Place a round of parchment or waxed paper, cut to fit, in the bottom of the pan. Butter the round of paper. Add about one tablespoon of flour to the buttered pan and shake it around to coat the bottom and sides of the pan. Shake out excess.

3. Step 3

   Combine the cream and four tablespoons of butter in a saucepan. When the mixture simmers, add all the chocolate and stir around the bottom and sides until melted. Remove from the heat and let stand.

4. Step 4

   Break the eggs into a heat-proof earthenware or metal mixing bowl. Stir in the sugar and vanilla. Place the bowl over - not in - a basin of simmering water, beating the mixture vigorously with a wire whisk.

5. Step 5

   After about one minute, when the eggs are warm and not overly heated, remove the bowl from the basin and beat with an electric mixer.

6. Step 6

   Continue beating until the mixture is tripled in volume and reaches room temperature, about 7 to 10 minutes.

7. Step 7

   Scrape about one-third of the chocolate mixture into a large mixing bowl. Add about one-third of the egg mixture and blend well with a spatula. Add the remaining egg mixture and fold it in. Fold in the remaining chocolate mixture and stir in the pecans.

8. Step 8

   Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth over the top.

9. Step 9

   Place the cake pan in a larger pan and pour boiling water around the cake pan. Place in the oven and bake 45 to 50 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.

10. Step 10

    Remove the cake from the oven and let it sit in the water bath about 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the water bath and wipe off the bottom of the pan. Invert the cake onto a platter, remove the round of paper and let stand to room temperature. Serve with tropical-fruit custard sauce.