Chocolate Fudge Cakes in Cognac Chocolate Sauce - Recipe

          Today is National Chocolate Cake Day.   Individual round cakes display 2 layers of moist chocolate cake with fudge centers, dusted with powdered sugar, resting in a pool of Cognac flavored chocolate sauce.

Chocolate Fudge Cakes in Cognac Chocolate Sauce

(Makes 7 (2 3/4-inch cakes) plus 5 (2-inch) cakes)

Chocolate Cake

2 c. Regular All Purpose Flour

3/4 c. Sugar

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Freshly Ground Nutmeg

3/4 c. Margarine (natural expeller pressed oils)

5 oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1 1/2 c. Water

2 Eggs lightly beaten

1 T. Vanilla

1/4 c. Plain Goat Yogurt

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and nutmeg. In a heavy bottomed sauce pan heat the margarine, chocolate, and water on low until melted, stirring constantly. Set aside to cool. When the chocolate is lukewarm, stir it into the flour mixture, then add the eggs, vanilla, and yogurt. Mix with a whisk until incorporated and smooth. Pour onto a greased 11 1/2 x 16 1/2 jelly roll pan. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 - 20 minutes until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely in the pan on a rack.

Fudge Frosting

5 oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

5 T. Margarine (natural expeller pressed oils)

6 T. Rice Milk

1 lb. Powdered Sugar

Melt the chocolate, the margarine, and the rice milk in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Let cool to lukewarm and pour into a mixer with a whisk attachment if you have one. Add the powdered sugar a little at a time beating well after each addition. Add enough sugar to gain a thick spreading consistency. Beat a minute or two more until smooth and shiny.

Cognac Chocolate Sauce

14 oz. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1 (13.5-oz. can) Coconut Milk 

1 T. Cognac

Place the chocolate and coconut milk in a heavy bottomed sauce pan. Melt on low, stirring constantly, until the chocolate is melted. When the sauce is smooth and shiny take off the heat and stir in the Cognac. Add more to taste.

Assembly

1 Chocolate Cake

1 Recipe Fudge Frosting

Powdered Sugar

1 Recipe Cognac Chocolate Sauce

Still in the pan, slice the cake in half with a sharp knife top to bottom. Frost one half. Slide a metal spatula under the other half to make sure you can lift it up in one piece. Carefully put both hands under the unfrosted side and place it on top of the frosted cake. Take a biscuit cutter and slice rounds of cake, depositing them onto a plate. Dust with powdered sugar. For presentation: 1) ladle chocolate sauce onto a desert plate to make a chocolate puddle, then place a cake round in the center or 2) place a cake round in the center of a desert plate, dip a whisk into the sauce and flick squiggles of chocolate over the cake and plate. Serve immediately.