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Chocolate Fudge Cake with Strawberry Salsa and Candied Flowers

Chocolate Fudge Cake with Strawberry Salsa and Candied Flowers

This warm, super fudgy, chocolate cake recipe is from Chef Neal Fraser and I added a fresh strawberry salsa and lavender ice cream to it. All measurements are done by weight (even liquids), as is the way in a professional kitchen, because it makes it much easier to scale.
Servings: 8

Ingredients

Cake

  • 113 g unsalted butter
  • 22 g cocoa powder
  • 113 g hot water
  • 121 g all-purpose flour
  • 200 g sugar
  • 3 g (1/4 tsp) baking soda
  • 2 g (1/2 tsp) kosher salt
  • 56 g buttermilk
  • 1 large egg
  • 3 g (1 tsp) vanilla extract

Fresh Berry Salsa

  • 1 1/2 cups (200g) cut strawberries
  • 1 cup (123g) raspberries
  • 1/4 cup (54g) brown sugar
  • zest of 1 lime
  • 2 tsp fresh lime juice
  • 1 tbsp tequila optional
  • 5 large mint leaves chiffonade
  • 1/8-1/4 tsp dried pepper flakes this is optional and you can use as much or as little as you like

Lavender Ice Cream

  • 1 batch ice cream
  • 2 tbsp fresh or dried edible lavender steep the flowers in the heavy cream for about 30+ minutes

Sugared Edible Flowers

  • 8-16 edible flowers*
  • 1 tsp egg white**
  • 1/4 cup white sugar

Instructions

Cakes

  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Generously butter eight 4-ounce ramekins and dust with cocoa powder.
  • Melt the butter; stir in the cocoa powder and hot water.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, soda and vanilla. Pour the melted cocoa over the flour mixture and whisk to combine. Add the buttermilk, egg and vanilla, mixing well. Pour the batter into the prepared ramekins, filling no more than half way.
  • Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until the sides are set, the top is domed, but the center is still slightly soft. Allow to cool a couple minutes, then invert onto the plate (if you are ready to serve) or a parchment covered baking sheet. You can reheat the cakes just before you serve or leave them at room temperature.

Berry Salsa

  • Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and allow to sit until all the sugar has dissolved. You can make this several hours ahead.

Sugared Flowers

  • Gently paint the egg white onto the petals of the flower, using your finger or a clean, kitchen-only, paint brush. Dust with sugar. Allow to dry for about 2 hours.
  • Serve with a scoop of ice cream or create quenelles! You can set the quenelles onto a frozen pan, lined with a sheet of parchment, hours before serving, so plating is faster and the ice cream won't melt as you assemble.

Notes

*pansies and violas grown without pesticides can often be found at co-ops and some grocery stores where you find herbs
**this will not be cooked, so you have to be okay eating raw egg, which is really fine for most people (elderly and babies should avoid) or you can use a pasteurized egg white product
warm, super fudgy, chocolate cake recipe and I added a fresh strawberry salsa and lavender ice cream to it