Sworn to the Cake

Pig's heads impaled on spikes?
Flame shooting tridents?
Buckets of blood at your disposal?
These are just a few of the benefits of being Watain.
If you attend one of their black mass shows, you can expect to go home with the scent of death infused into your hair and clothes.
But all of this would mean nothing if their music was crap. Lucky for us, it's not! Their brand of Black Metal features thrash riffs that empty out into a dizzying abyss. The influence of Mayhem and Dissection is apparent, although it's only used as a jumping point for their own expression. Their album Sworn To The Dark is nicely spiked with the instrumental song "Dead But Dreaming." It serves as a calm before the next storm. I also highly recommend their earlier album Casus Luciferi. "I Am The Earth" is a fucking great song.
Their awesomeness deserves cake.
This cupcake is sworn to the dark in that it is void of flour. Even the cream is heavy, and corrupted by the dark bitterness of chocolate.
In honor of Watain, and their own personal brand of Black Metal, I present to you:

Watain: Sworn to the Cake


Makes 22

Metal Constituents:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• 5 large eggs
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened black cocoa powder

For the Ganache:

• 1 1/8 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup heavy cream
• crushed red M&M's, for topping

Merciless Instructions:

1. In a medium-sized sauce pan, heat butter and heavy cream over medium-low heat until butter is melted.
2. Add bittersweet chocolate chips and stir until melted, smooth, and uniform in color.
3. Remove from heat and allow to cool for about 30 minutes.
4. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake tin with baking cups.
5. Spray each baking cup with cooking spray, and set aside.
6. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, and black cocoa powder. **If you can't find Black Cocoa Powder, please feel free to substitute plain unsweetened cocoa powder.
7. While continuing to whisk, add chocolate mixture and whisk until combined.
8. Fill baking cups 3/4 full.
9. Bake until puffed up and set, about 30-35 minutes.
10. Let cakes cool in pan for 30 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely (their centers will sink, and the tops may crack).
11. To make the Ganache: Place chocolate chips in a medium-sized, heat-proof bowl.
12. Heat cream in a small sauce pan over medium-high heat until just boiling.
13. Pour heated cream over chocolate, and allow to stand for 1 minute.
14. Whisk until smooth.
15. Place ganache in the fridge. Stir every 10 minutes until ganache reaches spreading consistency.
16. Pipe ganache onto completely cooled cakes.
17. Distribute crushed red M&M's over each cake to represent bloody mammal parts.
18. Enjoy while the world behind you burns.

Here is some footage of Watain playing "Sworn to the Dark."
Enjoy!





Watain's bathroom in Denver during the Black Metal Magic tour of 2008
(courtesy of Brooklyn Vegan)