Chocolate Marsala Cake

• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/3 cup dry Marsala wine
• 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• ¾ cup flour

1. Preheat oven to 300°F with rack in center. Grease an 8 x 2-inch round cake pan with oil. Line bottom with round of waxed paper. Oil paper. Melt chocolate in small saucepan in oven, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove, stir until smooth, and let cool. Increase oven temperature to 350°F.

2. Gradually stir Marsala into mascarpone in small bowl until smooth. Gradually add mascarpone mixture to chocolate until smooth. Using standing mixer with whip attachment or handheld electric beaters, whip eggs with sugar until pale, tripled in volume, and whip leaves dissolving tracks, about 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add flour in 4 parts alternating with chocolate-mascarpone in 3, beginning and ending with flour and until no streaks can be seen, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in 1/8 teaspoon salt. Transfer batter to prepared pan.

3. Bake until batter clinging to wooden pick inserted in center feels slightly sticky and top has several cracks, about 35 minutes. Remove from oven. Run paring knife around top ½ inch to release edge. Cool on rack 10 minutes. Sandwich pan with second rack and flip. Carefully lift off pan. Sandwich cake with rack and turn right side up. Let cool completely. Serve cut in wedges.

Dressing It Up

Dust the top of the cake with confectioners’ sugar. Serve the wedges with a big dollop of unsweetened whipped cream garnished with ripe pear slices.