The technique of this recipe is very similar to that used to make an Italian meringue, except the temperature of the sugar syrup should be very low. If your syrup was too hot, I expect what happened is that you actually did make a version of it, when the hot syrup essentially cooked your egg whites and set enough of the proteins for them to be able to retain the air volume. Much like when you make a pavlova or marshmallows. That would explain why you did not lose volume, and why the pan floated in the water bath, and why it is taking so long to bake in the oven now. You will likely end up with a tasty chocolate pavlova, rather than the dense chocolate dessert. This recipe can be tricky that way. I find that the doneness is best judged by the cake pulling away slightly from the pan, rather than using the hand to determine firmness. In the future, you just want the syrup warm enough to have dissolved the sugar- not more than about baby bottle warm. If you melt the chocolate first, it will usually sit and wait a bit while you get the other things ready. For that matter, the sugar syrup will also wait a few minutes quite easily, while you whip the whites. I usually use a slightly lower speed with the KA mixer to start, and get the syrup finished. Then if they are not quite ready, I can bump up the speed until they are and have the other two items ready to go.
Wow. Thank you so much. The sugar syrup was hot when I put it in. Very hot. And, after about 3 hours, the cake did begin to separate from the pan. Very helpful! I am saving this for the next time I make it. I am hoping it tastes great regardless. Thank you!
Thank you for responding. I used the Chocolate Nemesis recipe on the Food52 website. The recipe said whipping the eggs and sugar would quadruple the volume and that it should take about 10 minutes. After about 5 minutes, the mixture almost reached the top of the bowl. I proceeded with the rest of the recipe. The recipe said the volume would go down but it never did. So, when I added water for the water bath the cake would cook in, the cake pan actually floated. I took out some of the water and it is baking now. Baking should have taken 1 1/2 - 2 hrs. It now has been about 3 hrs. and cake is not yet firm to the touch. I quess I am wondering what went wrong. I did make this once before, following the same directions and it came out fine. Only possible difference is I don't think I whipped the eggs and sugar on high speed on my Kitchen Aid. I probably used second highest speed and I definitely ran the mixer for the 10 minutes.
Did you gradually bring the mixer speed up to high or did you go straight to high? Without seeing exactly what you did you may have just used too high of a speed. There could be other reasons too, temperature of eggs, freshness of eggs, size of eggs. If the volume was higher than normal I can understand why it did not deflate when you added the chocolate. It may have deflated a bit but not enough because of the increased volume of the egg and sugar mixture. The floating pan sounds like you had a bit more water in than you needed. The volume of 'batter' I think would increase the cooking time too. Compared to the other time you made the cake, did it look like you had way more batter once you put it in the pan? I am not sure I have been much help. These are just my thoughts on what may have happened. I hope it comes out OK once it is out of the oven.
Thank you! All good points. Yes, the volume was much more when I poured it in the pan. It's out of the oven now. There's a crust on top no doubt from the extra cooking time and possibly undercooked inside. I'll let it cool completely maybe overnight, then see. How could it possibly be bad. It's chocolate, butter, and eggs! Ha, ha! Thank you for your help!
It sounds like it baked fine. The crust on top make sense... I am sure it is find on the inside... yes you are right, how bad can it be with chocolate, butter and eggs! Hey, you may like it better this way instead of the first time you made it. I made an orange loaf with 4 eggs instead of 2 by mistake... now I always make it with 4, it was much better than with 2. LOL! Let me know how it turned out once it's cooled. You are welcome for the help. Enjoy!
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Frank
The floating pan sounds like you had a bit more water in than you needed. The volume of 'batter' I think would increase the cooking time too. Compared to the other time you made the cake, did it look like you had way more batter once you put it in the pan?
I am not sure I have been much help. These are just my thoughts on what may have happened. I hope it comes out OK once it is out of the oven.