Cocoa Rouge
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

This cake is dedicated to Luciano Pavarotti, the only tenor I know of who was capable of reaching the F above high C to create a sound not of this earth. I’ve added white chocolate to both yellow and white cakes with the excellent results of higher rise and moister, melt-in-the-mouth texture, and it dawned on me that a dark chocolate cake might also benefit from this addition. For the frosting, I created the darkest and shiniest ganache ever. It is enriched with a mixture of unsweetened chocolate and corn syrup. The texture is incredibly smooth and the flavor is absolutely extraordinary. Keep a batch of the enrichment in your fridge to add to any basic ganache. It will keep for months. The touch of cayenne pepper doesn’t alter the flavor, but instead heightens the taste sensation and gives the ganache a long finish. If you’re a spice lover, go for the higher amount of cayenne. This is the cake I made for my Music and Art fiftieth high school reunion in New York. I overheard fellow classmates saying, “It sings in the mouth,” which was just what I had intended.

Plan Ahead Make the ganache at least 4 hours ahead.

Special Equipment One 9 by 2 inch round cake pan, encircled with a cake strip, bottom coated with shortening, topped with a parchment round, then coated with baking spray with flour