Il Falconiere: Steamed Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Sauce

A decadent steamed chocolate cake infused with rum and coffee, served with a rich vanilla sauce. This elegant dessert features a moist chocolate cake that can be optionally studded with diced pears and is complemented by a classic crème anglaise sauce.

10 servings

1 hr 5 min

Published October 4, 2025

Ingredients

•8 ounces butter
•¾ cup flour
•1 cup fine sugar
•4 whole eggs
•3 tablespoons rum
•2 tablespoons strong coffee
•1 tablespoon baking powder
•½ cup ground cacao
•4 whole pears
•1 recipe Vanilla Sauce
•1 serving chocolate garnish
•1 quart heavy cream
•½ pod vanilla pod
•8 whole egg yolks
•4 tablespoons fine sugar

Cooking Instructions

1.
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Butter and flour 10 ramekins and set aside.
10 min
2.
Beat butter and sugar to a soft cream. Add eggs, beating them in one at a time. Add rum and coffee. Sift flour, baking powder, and cacao into a bowl, then incorporate this into the butter mixture. Gently fold in the pears, if using. Pour into the prepared ramekins, filling halfway. Bake in a bain-marie by placing ramekins in a baking dish and filling it halfway with boiling water. Bake for 10 minutes, then increase temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking until set, about 15 minutes.
35 min
3.
Unmold onto individual plates or simply serve in the ramekins. Spoon vanilla sauce over the cakes, and garnish with curls of chocolate (use a vegetable peeler) or chocolate-covered coffee beans.
5 min
4.
Heat the cream and vanilla pod to boiling, then quickly reduce heat. In a separate bowl, thoroughly beat together the yolks and sugar. Using a wooden spoon, stir the eggs into the cream and continue cooking on low, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, until mixture slightly thickens and coats the spoon.
15 min

Ingredients

•8 ounces butter

•¾ cup flour

•1 cup fine sugar

•4 whole eggs

•3 tablespoons rum

•2 tablespoons strong coffee

•1 tablespoon baking powder

•½ cup ground cacao

•4 whole pears

•1 recipe Vanilla Sauce

•1 serving chocolate garnish

•1 quart heavy cream

•½ pod vanilla pod

•8 whole egg yolks

•4 tablespoons fine sugar

Cooking Instructions

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Butter and flour 10 ramekins and set aside.

10 min

Beat butter and sugar to a soft cream. Add eggs, beating them in one at a time. Add rum and coffee. Sift flour, baking powder, and cacao into a bowl, then incorporate this into the butter mixture. Gently fold in the pears, if using. Pour into the prepared ramekins, filling halfway. Bake in a bain-marie by placing ramekins in a baking dish and filling it halfway with boiling water. Bake for 10 minutes, then increase temperature to 350 degrees F and continue baking until set, about 15 minutes.

35 min

Unmold onto individual plates or simply serve in the ramekins. Spoon vanilla sauce over the cakes, and garnish with curls of chocolate (use a vegetable peeler) or chocolate-covered coffee beans.

5 min

Heat the cream and vanilla pod to boiling, then quickly reduce heat. In a separate bowl, thoroughly beat together the yolks and sugar. Using a wooden spoon, stir the eggs into the cream and continue cooking on low, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes, until mixture slightly thickens and coats the spoon.

15 min