Chocolate ideal way to end, begin year

Here’s a grand idea: Let’s end this challenging year, and then start a more promising new year, with chocolate.

For a New Year's Eve party, a double darkchocolate version of our family’s favorite German chocolate cake. Then, at the stroke of midnight, I’ll serve chocolate-covered grapes alongside a very dry rose Champagne. How sweet is that?

Nowadays, I bake, as I cook, more simply. I also serve smaller portions. Lately, I find making a single-layer cake satisfies as much as its multi-tiered counterpart. This dark yet light chocolate cake employs all kinds of noble baking skills. I start with readying the proper pan. Using the right size truly means the difference between success and disaster.

This recipe works well in several pan sizes ranging from an 8½- to 9- or 10-inch springform or an 8-inch square. My favorite? The 10-inch springform pan for a terrific cake-to-frosting ratio: The shorter cake means lots of ooey-gooey goodness in every bite. The straight sides of springform pans give the cake a professional appearance. Unmolding the cake proves nearly foolproof.

Good baking starts with fresh ingredients — unsalted sweet butter, fresh baking soda, unbleached flour and good chocolate. Don’t cut corners on the process either: Properly creamed butter and sugar mean a cake with lightness and good structure. Likewise, beaten whites, made stable with some sugar, help lighten the cake crumb. Gentle blending of flour and liquid makes a tender cake.

For the chocolate, use the sweetness level you like to eat out of hand. I like a dark, bittersweet chocolate. A rich unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Ghirardelli, adds another layer of chocolate flavor. Many bakers know that adding a bit of strong coffee underscores the dark flavors of chocolate. If you have it, add a spoonful of instant espresso powder to the cake batter.

Serve the cake simply sprinkled with powdered sugar and vanilla ice cream or crushed, thawed frozen berries. Or, make a super-rich, yet easy, double-chocolate pecan-and-coconut frosting similar to that layered on the classic German chocolate cake.

No decorating skills are needed for this frosting — it gets boiled then cooled to spreading consistency. Stir in chopped pecans and coconut.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour a 10-inch springform pan.

For cake: Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt into a small bowl.

Mix milk, espresso powder and vanilla in a small dish.

Put chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium (50 percent power), stirring once or twice, until barely melted, about 1½ minutes. Stir, to be sure it’s all melted.

Beat egg whites in a small bowl with an electric mixer until foamy. Gradually beat in ½ cup of the sugar until whites come to stiff peaks.

Beat butter in a large bowl with the electric mixer until fluffy. Gradually beat in remaining ½ cup sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in egg yolks until well-combined. Beat in melted chocolate until smooth. Alternately beat in the dry ingredients and the milk mixture until smooth. Add the beaten egg whites and beat on low speed until incorporated into the batter.

Scrape batter into the prepared pan and spread it level. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cake cool in pan, 10 minutes. Remove the rim from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack.

600 calories, 8 g protein, 68 g carbohydrates, 48 g sugar, 4 g fiber, 36 g fat (21 g saturated), 119 mg cholesterol, 297 mg sodium Put milk, cocoa powder, egg yolks and salt into a medium saucepan; whisk smooth. Stir in sugar and butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

Stir in chopped chocolate until melted. Stir in coconut, pecans and vanilla. Transfer to a large bowl. Let cool until thickened to a thick spreading consistency, about 2 hours.

When cake has cooled, spread frosting over top.

White-chocolate glaze: Put 2 ounces white chocolate, roughly chopped, and 1 teaspoon coconut oil into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on medium (50 percent power), stirring once or twice, until melted, about 30 seconds. Be careful, the mixture burns easily. Use a fork to drizzle the glaze over the frosted cake.

Rinse grapes well, then remove the stems and pat thoroughly dry.

Have a large bowl with unsweetened cocoa powder ready. Roughly chop semisweet or dark chocolate and place in medium-size microwave-safe bowl. Microwave chocolate on medium (50 percent power), stirring every 30 seconds until nearly melted, about 2 minutes. Remove and stir well until all is melted.

Drop one-third of the grapes into the melted chocolate, and use a spoon to roll them around to coat with chocolate on all sides. Use a fork to transfer them to the cocoa and then roll them around to coat each grape with cocoa on all sides. Remove to a parchment-lined sheet to set. Repeat with remaining grapes. Serve within a few hours.