So you overbaked a chocolate cake. Now what?

I'm sure nothing like this has ever happened to you, but today I baked a chocolate pound cake that came out a little dry. I probably overbaked it a wee bit - I was using a bundt pan rather than the 9 x 5 loaf pan the recipe called for and even though I thought I was checking it often enough I probably wasn't. It still tastes quite good, it is loaded with dark chocolate chips, but it is going to need some help to get eaten.

Of course, I could just toss the cake in the garbage and move on, but I hate to do that. The cake isn't burnt or ruined beyond being edible - it is just ever so slightly too dry. Plus, I've used Valrhona cocoa and some excellent dark chocolate in it, not to mention two sticks of organic butter and four eggs - I just can't bring myself to waste all those expensive ingredients. Since no one in my house is going to eat this cake as is, I've put it into a large freezer bag and put it in my freezer. Cakes freeze beautifully so in a few weeks or a month when I need a dessert for a crowd, I can take it out and defrost it. Of course when I do that I will still have the same slightly dry but intensely chocolate cake before me that needs a little help. Here's what I'm going to do with it.

Tiramisu. Yes, I know Tiramisu is traditionally made with lady fingers or pound cake, but wouldn't it be wonderful with a deep dark chocolate cake instead - I sincerely think so and the slightly dry cake will benefit from the dip in espresso and the layer of enriched whipped mascarpone.

There is one major modification that must be made because the cake is chocolate - I decided to cut out the sweet Marsala wine, which I feel will clash with a heightened chocolate level. Instead of Marsala, however, I would happily use a coffee flavored liqueur, even a chocolate liqueur or a good orange liqueur. Or you could skip the liqueur all together and use straight up espresso. You choose.

Here's the plan:

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Tiramisu with chocolate pound cake
Serves 6-8

1/2 to 1 dark chocolate pound cake, slightly overbaked
1 cup espresso (8-10 shots)
2 tablespoons Kahlua, Godiva liqueur or Grand Marinier (optional)
4 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
3 cups mascarpone cheese
1 cup chilled heavy cream
unsweetened cocoa or bittersweet chocolate for garnish

Prepare the espresso and cool completely. Mix liquer with espresso, if using. Slice the cake into 3/4 inch thick slices and cut into strips. Dip the cake strips, one at a time, in espresso-liqueur mixture and line the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan with a single layer of cake. Set aside.

Separate the eggs. Beat the egg whites with 2 tablespoon sugar until they form soft peaks.

Beat cream in another bowl with cleaned beaters until it just holds soft peaks.

In another bowl, beat 4 egg yolks with the remaining sugar until thick and pale yellow. Add the mascarpone to the egg yolk mixture and blend until well combined.

Fold cream into mascarpone mixture gently but thoroughly.

Lightly fold the egg whites into the mascarpone mixture.

Cover the espresso soaked cake layer with a thick, even layer of the mascarpone mixture.

Dust the finished tiramisù with unsweetened cocoa or chopped bittersweet chocolate.

Refrigerate at least two hours. Can be assembled one day ahead.


Note: The eggs in this recipe are uncooked. Food safety experts caution that consuming raw eggs can expose you to salmonella contamination. Immuno-compromised patients, the very young and the elderly should not eat raw eggs. You can purchase pasturized egg whites for use in this recipe. In some parts of the country it is also possible to buy whole eggs pasturized in their shells.