27th March 2014

Nerd Recipes: Divergent’s Dauntless Chocolate Cake

Welcome to the last installment of our Divergent recipe series! Hopefully by now you’ve seen the film – would love to hear your (non-spoilery) thoughts in the comments. Now you’ve got everything you need to host a Divergent-themed book club or film viewing party – including a chocolate cake!

Warning: Mild spoilers ahead!

In the Divergent series, future Chicago has divided the population into five factions, each with the emphasis on a personality trait: caring, honesty, intelligence, courage and kindness.

In the first book, during the “Choosing Ceremony” the main character Beatrice decides to defect from the faction she was raised in, selfless Abnegation, to join the brave Dauntless. Two weeks into her Dauntless initiation, her mother comes on family visiting day (this entire scene is quite a bit different in the film).

After a somewhat confusing conversation, Mrs. Prior stops before leaving. Here’s what we learn:

“‘Have a piece of cake for me, all right? The chocolate. It’s delicious.; … I stand alone in the blue light coming from the lamp above me, and I understand: She had been to the compound before. She remembered this hallway. She knows about the initiation process.

My mother was Dauntless.”

The deliciousness of Dauntless’ cake is mentioned a few more times throughout the series, so it only seemed fitting to serve up a rich chocolate cake with decadent chocolate frosting.

DAUNTLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE (Adapted from Ina Garten)
Note: You can split the batter into either two or three 8-inch cake pans. For two fatter layers, cook slightly longer (35-40 mins), for three skinnier layers, bake for about 30-32 mins. You do not need a stand mixer for this recipe (though, it makes things a bit quicker).

Cake Ingredients:

1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
⅔ cup cocoa powder (the good stuff)
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup coffee, slightly cooled

Let’s Make Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Prepare two or three 8-inch cake pans. Spray with oil, then press a circle of parchment into the bottom, spray again, then dust each with flour. Set aside.

dauntless-3

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl), sift together the dry ingredients.

4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and oil. Slowly pour into the dry ingredients with the mixer on low.

5. Stir in the vanilla and coffee until just combined, then split evenly among the prepared cake pans.

6. Bake at 350 F for 30-35 minutes (on the lower end for three layers, up to 40 mins. for two layers).

7. Cool 10 minutes in the cake pans, then turn out onto wire racks. Let sit for at least 2 hours but up to overnight to cool completely.

Frosting Ingredients:

1 stick butter, melted
⅔ cup cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla
¼ cup plus 1-2 TBS milk or half and half
4-5 cups powdered sugar

Let’s Make that Rich Chocolate Frosting:

1. Stir the cocoa into the melted butter to make a fudgey base.

2. Mix in the vanilla and milk until completely combined.

3. With stand mixer on low, whisk in powdered sugar one cup at a time.

4. Turn mixer up to medium high and whisk for 3-4 minutes until ingredients are fully incorporated. You may need to add the additional milk one TBS at a time. The final consistency should be fluffy and spreadable.

5. Place a cake board on your cake stand (or use a spinning cake pedestal). Drop a dollop of frosting in the center of the cake board. This will help the cake adhere to the board.

6. Carefully remove the parchment from the bottom of the first layer. This cake is very moist and it will try to fall apart on you. For best results, wrap the cake in plastic and freeze slightly. Otherwise just be gentle.

7-dauntless-frosting

7. Place the first layer flat side up in the center of the cake board. Use an offset spatula to cover the top of the layer with frosting, then add the next layer (also flat side up). Repeat and add the third layer.

8. Switch to a flat spatula, and begin frosting the sides gently. Be careful not to pick up crumbs that will get stuck in the icing. You can also start with a very thin layer, freeze for 30-45 mins, then add a second coat.

9. Smooth the icing on the top of the third layer with the offset spatula and remove any excess.

10. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe by Emma Carew Grovum. She is the web and social media editor for Foreign Policy magazine and uses her newsroom colleagues as taste testers. Emma has previously worked for the Chronicle of Philanthropy, Webbmedia Group, The Cooking Club of America and the Minneapolis Star Tribune. She loves Star Wars, pandas and all things Joss Whedon. Find her on twitter at @emmacarew.

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27th March 2014

Nerd Recipes: Divergent’s Dauntless Chocolate Cake

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