Chocolate Armagnac Cake (sorta) - Tuesdays with Dorie

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Chocolate Armagnac Cake (sorta)
(Completed subbed) Chocolate Armagnac Cake

For this week's Tuesdays with Dorie, Lyb of And then I do the dishes selected Chocolate Armagnac Cake - The Cake That Got Me Fired on pages 279-281 of Dorie's book, Baking: From My Home to Yours. Check our Lyb's site for the recipe or get the book.

While baking in a top restaurant, Dorie got bored and changed up one of the restaurant's classic recipes. She was fired for "creative subordination!"

I might get fired too...for substituting too many things! I don't drink so I used orange juice instead of the armagnac...don't worry, I didn't try to flambe my OJ! :) I made 1/4 of the recipe. Since it was just for me, I skipped the glaze because I'm actually not the biggest fan of chocolate frosting. I dusted it with a heavy East Coast-type snow of powdered sugar instead.

Chocolate Armagnac Cake (sorta)
Be sure to check out the other Tuesdays with Dorie bakers!

P.S. It's Square Root Day! (3/3/09 = 3x3=9) I'm a closeted math geek and think it is way cool. It's also Girls' Day in Japan!
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27 comments:

Anonymous said... [Reply to comment]

LOVE it! I love confectioner's on chocolate cake, especially during the holidays. It's so cheerful - it makes "anything" cheerful. Your photos are fantastic - as I'm sure the "sub'd" cake is! Sounds like you enjoyed making it to your taste - which is what baking is all about! Nicely done!

Unknown said... [Reply to comment]

Yum, your cake looks good! I wish I'd left the glaze off because I didn't really like it. Happy Square Root Day to you - my husband was excited about it too :)

Megan said... [Reply to comment]

I made 1/4 the recipe also, left out nuts and prunes, and used scotch instead of Armagnac. So if you get fired, I'll be in the unemployment line with you!

Anonymous said... [Reply to comment]

Orange juice and powdered sugar sound like wonderful substitutions. Your cake looks great.

Carol Peterman/TableFare said... [Reply to comment]

And you know pi day is coming right up! I like the East coast snow topping.

Sara said... [Reply to comment]

Mmmm, this looks delicious!

Monica H said... [Reply to comment]

It's also my husbands and my 10th dating anniversary. How cool is that that we share it with square root day!

I love the thick layer of "snow" on your cake.

Snooky doodle said... [Reply to comment]

this looks super delicious! what a yummy view :)

Linda said... [Reply to comment]

the glaze was delicious, but i think your version w powdered sugar looks devine!

Jessica said... [Reply to comment]

I prefer powdered sugar to heavy chocolate frosting too most of the time. I applaud your substitutions. Chocolate and orange are a wonderfully classic combo.

Anonymous said... [Reply to comment]

I think you're subs are wonderful. And I'm shaking my head at myself for not recognizing square root day. I never notice the neat math days throughout the year.

Anonymous said... [Reply to comment]

Those substitutions sound fine to me, as long as you didn't eliminate the chocolate! ;)

And thank you for mentioning the oatmeal. I eat oatmeal almost every day, the old fashioned kind, not the little packets, yet my cholesterol refused to cooperate!

PheMom said... [Reply to comment]

Your cake looks really nice! I like the powdered sugar dusting on top.

Di said... [Reply to comment]

Looks good, however you top it!

Melissa said... [Reply to comment]

beautiful beautiful photos. Cake looks delish with the "snow".

kimberly salem said... [Reply to comment]

your cake looks delicious with the powdered sugar on top! and i'm sure dorie would never fire you for improvising, especially on this recipe ;)

Jules Someone said... [Reply to comment]

Glad your subs worked out for you. Nice!

betty geek said... [Reply to comment]

HAHA! Happy Square Root Day indeed! Nerd alert!

I like your powdered sugar idea, I should have done the same. The glaze was so-so on mine.

I think I like your version better than Dorie's! Sssshhhh!

Audrey said... [Reply to comment]

I liked the frosting better than the cake...but your East Coast snowstorm is so pretty! (As pretty as the real one, until it started to melt...) I don't think you'll be fired...and anyway, it seemed to work out in the end for Dorie!

Anonymous said... [Reply to comment]

Oh I LOVE That you used orange juice!!! And the confectioner's sugar!!! That is a cake that I'd love to eat!

Cathy said... [Reply to comment]

I used liquor in mine, but really couldn't taste it AT ALL, so I was wondering how this would work if you just cooked the prunes in something else . . . like orange juice! It certainly looks wonderful! We loved this cake!

Shari said... [Reply to comment]

The dusting of "snow" is so pretty on this cake! Did you like it with all of your subs?

TeaLady said... [Reply to comment]

The sugar would add just enough sweetness. Looks great.

Pamela said... [Reply to comment]

The cake looks amazing with the powdered sugar. Beautiful job!

AmyRuth said... [Reply to comment]

I think the powdered sugar sounds really good. Besides it decorates the tip of your nose.
I loved this cake/torte. The chocolate theme seems to work. Your photos are beautiful and makes me want some cake.
AmyRuth

Engineer Baker said... [Reply to comment]

As an engineer, I totally appreciate the Square Root Day reference :) Beautiful job - I think this cake was meant for substitutions. Orange juice sounds fabulous, and I went frosting-less as well.

LyB said... [Reply to comment]

This cake is so dense and moist the icing on the cake is, well, icing on the cake! :) Love the idea of confectioner's sugar on top, it looks great. Thanks for baking along with me!

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