Flourless Chocolate Espresso Cake

This cake was a hit from the time it left the oven in Providence Thursday morning to the time I left Addie's apartment at 11:30 that night. It even attracted the attention of an MBTA conductor who would have given me a free ride if I'd only be willing to cut her a slice. I would have, but a cake less one slice isn't a very nice thing to bring to a dinner party.

Addie and Alexis were having an "apartment cooling" party before they moved out of their loft, since they had never had an apartment warming. They made stuffed Cornish game hens,
asparagus and potatoes, which were all delicious. The meal was rounded out with several bottles of wine and their homemade beer and mead.

Addie offered to let me bring dessert, so of course I spent the next 24 hours thinking about what I would make. I think cakes are nice for celebratory occasions, but it had to be able to survive the train ride from Providence to Boston, then the subway, and finally, several blocks of walking - during which it just happened to be raining. So layers were out. Anything unstable at a range of temperatures was probably a poor idea. Nothing that could fall over or deflate. Finally, I had a pie-sized pasty box lying around, but no cake boxes, so it would be nice if it was no more than 2 inches tall.

These constraints led me to one of the most decadent, chocolatiest caffeinated desserts this side of a heart attack. The recipe (on epicurious.com) is from the September 1995 issue of Bon Appétit, and it's as good now as it was then. I know it's not exactly health food... but this is one of those cakes you don't need more than a sliver of, so you won't be eating more than a fraction of the ingredients (especially if you leave the leftovers with your dinner party hosts.) Since there's so much chocolate in the cake, it's important to use the good stuff. I used half Scharffen Berger bittersweet (70% cacao) and half Ghirardelli. I also sprung for real espresso from a café in Wayland Square where I know its good. However, I wasn't sure how many shots were in a cup, so the guy working the register guessed 4 for me... which was only half right. Turns out a cup is about 8 shots, so I made half a cup of instant espresso and mixed the two (sacrilege, I know.)

You may notice, as it's baking, that the top of the cake is really ugly. Like a mud pie, or perhaps a sinkhole. But never fear! The cake is served upside-down, presenting a beautiful mousse-y surface begging to be decorated with raspberries. Just don't let anyone flip their piece over.

Finally, whatever you do, don't skip the raspberry sauce. No matter how much you love chocolate and coffee (which I do, very, very much) the raspberry sauce is key for elevating this cake into the realm of the divine. That said, I didn't follow the Bon Appétit recipe, which calls for frozen raspberries in syrup. Instead, I stirred a couple tablespoons of sugar and a little cornstarch in a pot, then added two thawed bags of frozen raspberries (Ingredients: raspberries) and mashed them with a wooden spoon while it cooked. I let the liquid thicken a bit and mashed the raspberries pretty well, then strained the whole shebang into a bowl, which involved more mashing with the wooden spoon and a good deal of waiting. But I wound up with a cup and a half or so of beautiful, seedless raspberry sauce (and one very red wooden spoon.)

Unsurprisingly, the results were absolutely delicious and satisfyingly decadent. And very appropriate after an equally delicious dinner, especially if you need to wake up a bit before heading home! Anyway, I'm determined to make this cake again soon, so if anyone wants to have a dinner party....