In December, just a few days before Christmas, we said good-bye to our dear friends Marcelle and Dave as they packed up their family and headed down to Los Angeles for a new job. So many of our first memories in this town feature them prominently: they showed up late one summer evening to help us lay sod in our backyard because we desperately needed a hand and didn’t know anyone in our neighborhood; when they didn’t get chosen in the community garden lottery, we “rented” one of the raised beds in our backyard to them, and they grew lots and lots of radishes; Marcelle and I met at the sweet, family-owned blueberry farm 30 minutes away, babies and toddlers in tow, to pick gallons of juicy berries one July; I have a sheet of paper torn from a yellow legal pad with directions for canning whole tomatoes that Marcelle wrote for me one Indian Summer day in October when we picked every last tomato from my yard, and bottled dozens of quarts of beautiful, pinky-red Brandywines.
for the salted caramel sauce:
14 Tablespoons salted butter
To make the salted caramel sauce, combine the sugar and water in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan with tall sides. Heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then bring to a boil. Boil until the entire mixture is a light amber color, like the color of clover honey. Stir in the cream. The mixture will sputter, so stand back, and use a long-handled spoon. And I always wear an oven mitt! Remove caramel from heat, and stir in butter and salt. Pour into a heat-proof serving dish and allow to cool.
To make the cake, butter the bottom and sides of a 9″ springform pan, then dust with cocoa powder. If there’s a chance that water will be able to leak into your pan from the water bath, tightly wrap the entire outside with several layers of foil. Preheat the oven to 350Ā°F. Combine both chocolates and butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and microwave, stirring every 30 seconds, until everything is melted and smooth. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and sugar. Add chocolate mixture, and whisk until smooth. Pour into prepared pan and cover tightly with foil. Place the springform pan in a large roasting pan, and add hot water until it comes halfway up the outside of the springform pan. Bake 1 hour 15 minutes, until it only jiggles slightly when shaken, and when you touch it lightly with your finger, it comes away clean. Remove from roasting pan and uncover. Allow to cool completely before serving. Serve with gelato and salted caramel sauce. Serves 12-16 at least!
what a sweet story a perfect dessert! anne
Thanks Annie! It really was a delicious way to say farewell.
Should the story behind the recipe bring tears? Probably need to go eat my feelings now! In the words of the Little Rascals, “You only meet a once in a lifetime friend–once in a lifetime.”. This is how we feel about our time in Vegas with the Larsons. We had fun meals together with our little families. The good news is it continues because luckily we landed in the same state again! Your blog is darling, Lu. I’m so proud of you! Love you lots…. Aunt Shelly
Sorry to make you weepy, lol! When are you guys going to come visit??
Oh Lord! Talk about decadent! This cake is divine!
Tia, it is so rich and over-the-top–decadent is the perfect word to describe it!!
Oh, friend! thanks for posting this recipe. And for your sweet words. I know a lot of words myself, but I have none to describe the many ways I miss you! This cake was a perfect end to a bittersweet evening and the pieces you sent home with me nourished me body and soul as I finished packing and cleaning.
I made the chocolate pots de creme (the ones I did for the twin shower in the tiny cups) last week for a church dinner and found some new fellow chocolate fans. Since I haven’t really made any friends yet, it was a good place to start. I plan to pick blueberries with you again this July–save me some of your time. š
Marcelle, I’m so happy to hear from you! We miss you guys so much, and would love to pick blueberries with you this summer. Let me know when you are planning on coming up; we’ll plan all sorts of fun Oregon summer activities for you!
Oh my goodness, this combines so many of my favorite things!
Mine too!