Cake Ultra

Show Annoying Story

So before I get to the part where Cake Ultra technically ended a man's life (RIP Gerald, you sweet-toothed legend), let me just say--this dessert is not for the faint of heart. Or really, anyone with unresolved childhood trauma and access to a freezer. But I digress.

It all started one fateful Thursday when I was trying to avoid folding laundry by "recipe testing." I'd just finished layering my 9x9 pan with the ganache-glazed squares of chocolaty sin when my neighbor Gerald popped in "just to say hi" (read: steal snacks like a raccoon in khakis). Gerald was the kind of man who still said "hubba hubba" when he saw white chocolate, which should've been a red flag. But I'm forgiving by nature. And by that I mean easily distracted.

Anyway, Gerald takes one bite of Cake Ultra and immediately goes silent. Not just “yum” silent--like dead-eyed, time-stopped, spirit-left-the-body silent. His pupils dilated. He whispered "Mother of Ganache" and collapsed backward into my ficus. I scream. The dog barks. Alexa starts playing "Staying Alive" by the Bee Gees because she's a [BLEEP]ing menace.

I call 911 and shout something about "death by mousse," which confuses the dispatcher. Meanwhile, Gerald is on the floor, eyes closed, smiling like he just got kissed by a dessert angel. Paramedics arrive. One of them tries a piece. He cries. Full sobbing. Says it tastes like "the memory of his first love and the ending of The Notebook combined."

Spoiler: Gerald didn't die. Technically. He flatlined emotionally, went into a temporary Cake Ultra coma, and when he woke up three days later, he'd renounced all worldly possessions and joined a food monastery in Oregon. He sends me postcards now. They smell faintly of cocoa.

So. If you're looking for a cake that may cause spiritual rebirth, tearful flashbacks, or a brief cessation of brain function--Cake Ultra is your girl. But please, serve chilled. And keep your life insurance up to date.

You're welcome.

Ingredients Only

Ingredient Amount Ratio Procedure

9x9 Inch Half Chocolate Cake 1 1.000

1 Chill cake in the fridge overnight to firm.

2 Remove from pan and trim to 1.5-cm height.

3 Return cake and parchment paper to pan.

Ingredient Amount Ratio Procedure

White Chocolate Mousse 1 1.000

4 Dispense mousse evenly over cake, working front to back, bottom to top.

5 Rake a turner across the top for a smooth finish.

6 Freeze overnight (8 hours).

7 Remove combined cake and mousse from the pan and cut into 2.25-inch squares.

8 Line the bottom of two 9x9-inch pans with parchment paper.

9 Place 8 squares per pan, spaced apart.

10 Refreeze.

Ingredient Amount Ratio Procedure

Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache 2 2.000

11 Working in batches of 4, transfer squares to a baking sheet. Spoon ganache evenly over each. Return to pan and repeat.

12 Refreeze.

Ingredient Amount Ratio Procedure

White Chocolate Baking Bars 113g 113.000

Diamond Crystal Salt 4g 4.000

13 Cut white chocolate into small, even pieces.

14 Melt in a microwave using 30-second intervals at 40% power, stirring between rounds. Do not exceed 110°F (43°C).

15 Mix salt evenly into melted chocolate.

16 Drizzle salted chocolate over cake squares.

17 Thaw in the fridge before serving.

Notes

Inspired by the Chocolate Bomb dessert at Blue Canyon.
Use a turner to gently release ganache-covered squares from the baking sheet.
Scrape any excess ganache from the baking sheet back into its container between batches to maintain cleanliness and ganache quantity.

Recommended Equipment

Turner: for evening the mousse, releasing cakes, and recovering excess ganache.
Food Scale: measuring ingredients by weight is more accurate than volume.
Glass Measuring Cup: ideal for melting chocolate in the microwave, but any safe, heat-resistant container will do.
Silicone Spoon: great for stirring chocolate as it melts.
Baker's Decorating Bottle Kit: can be used to drizzle the chocolate.