I knew this year I wanted to celebrate Valentine’s Day in style with the type of fancy, refined dessert that transports you instantly to a chic street-side cafe with each bite. It only seems fitting as the Mr. and I dream of plans to visit Paris for our upcoming anniversary, no?
As you know, coffee, espressos, cappuccinos, macchiatos—all of the above—fuel the Rye household, and we’ve owned probably every Nespresso machine there ever was. I’ve savored caramel iced coffee in the summertime, and I’ve turned to after-dinner coffee time and time again when entertaining during the holidays. So naturally, with our newest addition, I recently set out to try my hand at Nespresso‘s classic chocolate espresso cake recipe (with a few touches of my own).
I’ve enjoyed many versions of chocolate espresso cake over the years, but I had yet to perfect this divine dessert at home. I’ve always known the marriage of rich, dark chocolate and full-bodied espresso is one of the most perfect pairings, but I had no idea how beautifully these flavors in particular would blend with this recipe, creating a smooth, velvety texture that’s not too dry.
I’ve found that dark chocolate and espresso notes can be somewhat bitter even to my palette, so by sprinkling a simple dash of ground cinnamon and nutmeg (and cayenne would be wonderful as well), I added the warmth I so enjoy in a great chocolate cake. Finally, I topped the cakes with a heavy ganache frosting (you may remember my love affair with ganache began here) and Nespresso‘s Milk Chocolate Salted Caramel Squares. The result? A classic, elevated take on a perhaps my new favorite chocolate espresso cake. Truly, MKR
