The Tender Cake with Dark Chocolate is a typical dessert from Ferrara, also known as Queen Cake of Montenegro or Montenegrin Cake, because the origins of this chocolate dessert are linked to Elena Petrovich of Montenegro, wife of Vittorio Emanuele III.
As the name suggests, the main ingredient characterizing this cake is dark chocolate, which is melted in a bain-marie with butter. Eggs are then added to the preparation: the egg whites are whipped to stiff peaks and the yolks are creamed with milk and sugar. An absent ingredient in this preparation, as you will see from the list below, is baking powder, so it is essential to beat the eggs well to achieve a soft and delicious cake.
The visual characteristic that makes it unique and recognizable, compared to other desserts, is its outer crust that hides a soft and delicious chocolate heart. In Ferrara dialect this dessert is called Sticky Cake, or Tacky Cake, due to its soft texture, which melts in the mouth.
I made the Tender Cake with Dark Chocolate using excess Easter egg chocolate: all those pieces of chocolate are perfect for this dessert. Just melt the chocolate with the butter and beat the eggs well to get a dessert you won’t soon forget! What is most surprising about this cake is the speed of preparation and the relative cooking time, between 25 and 28 minutes in the oven. Surely a dessert you can prepare without too much effort or too much time at the stove.
I decided to make the Lactose-Free Tender Cake using lactose-free milk and butter, to satisfy those who are lactose intolerant. The dark chocolate I used is 85%, so I didn’t need to add too much sugar during preparation. Consider that I don’t like dark chocolate, but to expand the range of recipes to offer you, I adapt to your requests and therefore try ingredients that I generally don’t eat.
I also recorded the video recipe of the Queen Cake with Dark Chocolate for you, so you can follow the preparation step by step. If you have any doubts, write in the comments or send an email to lericettedibea@gmail.com or through the chat on the social profiles. I will be happy to help you!
I remind you that I await you every morning on the Facebook group and fan page of Le Ricette di Bea with the Recipe of the Day, an unmissable appointment to start the day together with a sweet or savory treat!
Below you will find other recipes you can prepare using Easter egg chocolate, so you can empty your pantry and focus on more summery dishes and recipes. Tomorrow is May 1st and this chocolate tender cake is perfect for a picnic at the park, lake, or beach. Cut it into slices, pack it in a lunchbox, and take it with you: it will be appreciated by the whole family or a group of friends.
You can prepare chocolate brownies or a soft and delicious ring cake. There’s a recipe for every taste! If you still have whole Easter eggs, don’t miss this recipe: Tiramisù in the Egg!
- Difficulty: Very Easy
- Cost: Very Cheap
- Rest time: 1 Hour
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 8People
- Cooking methods: Cooktop, Oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All Seasons
- Energy 359.36 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 35.90 (g) of which sugars 25.86 (g)
- Proteins 4.67 (g)
- Fat 22.61 (g) of which saturated 13.57 (g)of which unsaturated 8.04 (g)
- Fibers 3.53 (g)
- Sodium 75.87 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 81 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients for the Tender Cake with Chocolate
- 7 oz 85% dark chocolate
- 1/2 cup butter (in my case lactose-free)
- 3/4 cup sugar (divided into two 6 tbsp portions)
- 3 eggs (medium-large at room temperature)
- 1/3 cup flour (in my case for soft cakes)
- 1 1/2 tbsp milk (lactose-free and at room temperature)
- 1 pinch salt
Tools for Preparing the Tender Cake with Dark Chocolate
- 2 Bowls
- 1 Mixer
- 1 Spatula
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Small Bowl
- 1 Cooktop
- 1 Sieve
- 1 Spoon
- 1 Scale
- 1 Pan
- 1 Parchment Paper
- 1 Cooling Rack
Don’t be intimidated by the list of useful tools for making the Lactose-Free Tender Cake with Dark Chocolate. Unfortunately, we will use many utensils, but you will see and especially taste that the result will be worth your effort!
Steps for the Tender Cake with Dark Chocolate Recipe
Let’s start the preparation with the dark chocolate and the butter, which once melted together in a bain-marie need a cooling time, during which we can prepare the other ingredients needed for the Tender Cake. Take a saucepan and pour some water into it, then place it on the cooktop and turn on the heat.
Now choose a bowl large enough for the butter and chocolate, that can be submerged in the water without the risk of breaking with the boiling heat. Let the butter and dark chocolate melt on medium-low heat, stirring occasionally with a spoon or a spatula. Add three tablespoons of milk to the bowl with the chocolate. Once these two ingredients are melted, set the small bowl aside after removing it from the hot water in the saucepan, placing it on the kitchen counter.
Turn on the oven in static mode at 340°F, placing the rack in the center of the oven, where we will later place the pan for cooking the Tender Cake. Now let’s process the eggs. Take two bowls: I usually use a stainless steel pot with high sides to whip the egg whites, as I believe it may help whip the egg whites, or maybe I’m wrong. Anyway, place the egg whites in one bowl and the yolks in the other. Using a mixer, beat the egg whites adding a pinch of salt and 6 tbsp of sugar. You should get a rather thick and firm meringue: it will take several minutes, about 5, so don’t rush. Then set aside and continue with the processing of the yolks.
Still using the mixer, cream the yolks adding a pinch of salt and the remaining sugar. Again, don’t rush and beat the eggs as much as possible to achieve an excellent final result. Take the small bowl where we melted the butter and dark chocolate and add them to the bowl where we creamed the yolks, still using the mixer.
Add to this mixture the 1/3 cup of flour previously sifted. Turn off the beaters or mixer here and continue from this point with a spatula. Take the bowl with the whipped egg whites and incorporate them into the rest of the mixture. Gently and slowly, with movements from bottom to top, as I always tell you.
Now take a 24 cm springform pan and place a piece of parchment paper inside. Pour the mixture in, leveling the surface with the spatula. Bake in the center of the oven, allowing it to bake for 25 to 28 minutes. Always do the skewer test before turning off the oven.
Main characteristics of the Tender Cake are: the outer crust and the soft interior. So, with the skewer, poke both a side area of the cake and a more central one to understand if it remains moist and you have achieved an optimal cake baking or if it needs a few more minutes of baking. Remember not to overbake the Tender Cake, otherwise it will become too hard and not tasty.
Remove from the oven and immediately open the pan’s springform. Carefully transfer the Tender Cake onto a cooling rack, helping yourself with the parchment paper and a spatula, so as to avoid breaking the surface of the dessert. Let the Queen Cake cool at room temperature for at least an hour before serving.
If you like, you can add powdered sugar as a final decoration. As you might have guessed, I don’t like it much, so no sugar for me! I just have to wish you bon appétit and remind you that I’m waiting for you every day here on my blog with many easy, quick, and delicious recipes like this one!
Storage and Tips:
You can store the Tender Cake with Chocolate in a cake container for a couple of days: it will remain soft and delicious inside and crunchy on the outside. You’ll see it will be gone sooner because this dessert is delicious and irresistible!
Main tips: as mentioned earlier, you need to melt the butter with the dark chocolate and let it cool for at least ten minutes before proceeding with preparing the Queen Cake batter. Beating the egg whites to stiff peaks is crucial to achieve the soft and moist consistency typical of this cake, as well as beating the yolks into a foamy cream. Don’t forget to bake the cake in the center of the oven and especially to do the skewer test after 25 minutes to determine if the dessert is ready or needs a few more minutes in the oven.
If you are not lactose intolerant, you can easily replace the butter and milk with regular lactose-containing products and follow the same recipe you just read.
