Page 255 - Chocolate Cake Doctor

C H O C O L A T E C H E E S E C A K E S A N D S O M U C H M O R E 237
GUATEMALAN N
GUATEMALA
WEDDING CAK
WEDDING CAKE E
n the 1980s I used to fre-
quent a dessert shop
in Atlanta that was
appropriately called The
Dessert Place. It served huge slices
of the most wonderful chocolate
layer cakes, poured fashionable cof-
fees before they came into vogue,
and served as a late-night hangout
for everyone with a sweet tooth. One
of their specialties was this layered
dessert, which they would make in
a large bowl, invert, and then
slather with whipped cream. People
would order it as the groom’s cake
for weddings and surround it with
fresh flowers.
I had forgotten all about this
cake until I heard from Rob Medley,
a former pastry chef in Atlanta. He
said the recipe began with
a chocolate cake mix,
which was swabbed with
amaretto and layered with a
cream cheese and coffee filling. Rob
suggested assembling the cake in a
9- or 10-inch loaf pan instead of a
bowl. With his guidance and my
experimentation I have re-created
that cake, and it is one dandy
dessert. The loaf is weighted down
and chilled for at least 24 hours,
and as it compresses, the flavors
grow more intense. Sliced and
served as is, or with a dollop
of whipped cream, this cake comes
across as if you had spent a lot of
time in the kitchen—but you
haven’t!