Aztec Two Step Coffee Cake

1. 1

   ["In a small cast iron pan on low heat, toast the peppercorns, coriander, allspice and chile. When they have darkened a bit and become fragrant, remove from heat and let them cool. Grind in an electric spice grinder/coffee grinder until powdered. A little bit of texture won't hurt.", "Measure the cinnamon, salt and cocoa into a small bowl, add the freshly ground spices and stir. Inhale deeply and enjoy it!

2. 2

   (This makes much more than you will use.)", "In a small bowl, put raisins, espresso powder, orange zest, and 1/4 cup sugar, and pour the boiling water over it. Let it soak. Sprinkle the cornstarch over it and stir until smooth. Add vanilla.", "Turn the oven on to preheat to 375 degrees. Prepare a 1 quart loaf pan by ""buttering"" the bottom and sides very thoroughly with coconut oil (or butter). Take some of the spice blend you made and dust the pan so the buttered surfaces are covered with it.", "Break up the Ibarra disk along the markings. It is very dense! I found that deepening the groove with a serrated knife, then snapping it apart helped. Then it's not too hard to chop the pieces up (using a wooden bowl and chopper) to the size of chocolate chips. Use it all, chips and powder. Stir in the tablespoon of sugar and spice blend.", "In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a wire whisk until they are light and foamy, about 8 minutes. Gently whisk in the ricotta, 1/3 at a time, and try not to deflate the eggs. Carefully pour in the raisins, etc., with all the liquid.", "Pour 2/3 of the batter into the prepared loaf pan, using a large spoon to try to keep the raisins evenly distributed. With a dry spoon, sprinkle the chocolate mixture evenly over the batter. Add the remaining batter. Dust the top with a few pinches of the spice mix.

3. 3

   Put it in the oven, on a middle shelf.", "Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees, then lower the temperature to 350 degrees and bake 15 minutes more. At this point the top will be browned and the edges will seem stable, but the middle will still look soft. You can leave it in the turned off oven where it will continue to cook and stabilize, about 15 minutes. It will have puffed up, but will deflate.", "When it has cooled, run a knife around the sides of the cake and pry a little to loosen the bottom. Remove it to an oval or rectangular platter. Garnish if you like, and serve in slices. It is delicate but its ""body"" is better the next day.", "NOTES: Instead of a loaf pan, use any 1 quart baking dish, but adjust the baking time -- the center will be softer. You can use whole milk ricotta, but we were happier with the outcome using part skim, and you can drain the ricotta for a firmer texture. Brown sugar can be used in place of Demerara. 1/4 cup of brewed espresso can be used in place of the instant powder and water. There is no substitute for the Mexican chocolate -- it has a unique texture that shines in this cake!"]

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