Asian Five-spice Chocolate Cake

Total Time: 3 hrs 40 mins Preparation Time: 55 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs 45 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 7 ounces fine-quality unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
• 6 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 4 teaspoons chinese five spice powder
• 1 1/8 cups unsalted butter, cut into pieces and softened
• 6 large eggs
• 2 cups chilled heavy cream
• 1/4 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350°f butter a 10- by 2-inch round cake pan. line bottom with a round of parchment paper and butter the paper (one reviewer said pan was hard to find so used a 9x9 square with good results -do not use springform pan!).
• 2 put chocolates in a large shallow bowl. bring water, 1/2 cup sugar, and spice to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then pour through a fine sieve set over chocolates. stir until smooth, then stir in butter until smooth.
• 3 beat eggs with remaining 3/4 cup sugar until increased in volume and pale and beaters leave a distinct trail (4 to 5 minutes in a standing mixer or 15 to 20 with a hand-held).
• 4 stir 1/4 of eggs into chocolate to lighten and fold in remainder gently but thoroughly (fold 1 to 2 minutes).
• 5 pour batter into pan and smooth top. put pan in a water bath and bake in middle of oven 40 to 45 minutes, or until a tester inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs adhering.
• 6 while cake is in oven, prepare ginger cream:.
• 7 beat cream to soft peaks and fold in crystallized ginger. refrigerate until ready to use.
• 8 when cake is done, remove from water bath and cool 2 hours in pan on a rack.
• 9 unmold cake by running a thin knife around edge, then heating pan 5 to 10 seconds on burner set at moderately low. invert cake plate over pan and flip cake onto plate. (if cake sticks, tap bottom of pan with a knife handle. if that doesn't work, heat pan again.) peel off paper.
• 10 serve cake in thin slices garnished with ginger cream.
• 11 cooks' note: you can make cake 2 days ahead and chill, covered. bring to room temperature before serving.