Chocolate Valentine Cake

Flourless Chocolate Cake

• 10 ounces (283 g) bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• ½ cup (80 ml) water
• 5 large eggs
• ½ cup (3.5 oz/100 g) granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup (160 ml) heavy cream

Raspberry Layer

• ¼ cup (2.7 oz/77 g) seedless raspberry
  
  

  Make The Cake

  1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Place a 9-inch heart-shaped pan on a piece of parchment paper and trace around it with a pencil. Cut out the heart shape from the parchment paper. Grease the bottom and sides of the pan. Line the bottom of the pan with the parchment heart, with the pencil lines down. Grease the paper.

  2. Put the chocolate and water in a medium stainless steel bowl and place the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. Heat, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove the bowl from the pot and set the chocolate aside to cool until tepid.

  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and salt by hand. Set the bowl over the same saucepan of simmering water, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water, and heat the mixture, whisking constantly, until the eggs are warm. Transfer the bowl to the mixer stand and, using the whisk attachment, beat on high speed until the mixture has tripled in volume, about 3 minutes.

  4. In a clean mixer bowl, using the clean whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream at high speed until firm peaks just begin to form.

  5. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the cooled chocolate into the egg mixture. Fold in the whipped cream.

  6. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and place the pan in a roasting pan or larger baking pan. Place the roasting pan in the oven and pour enough very hot water into the pan so that it comes halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake the cake for 45 to 52 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool in the pan for 25 minutes.

  7. Run a paring knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake, and carefully invert the cake onto the wire rack. Cool completely, then refrigerate the cake for 2 hours (if your wire rack doesn’t fit in the refrigerator, very carefully—the cake is quite delicate at this point—slide the cake onto a cardboard cake round).

  GLAZE THE CAKE

  8. Place the cake on a cake round if it is not already on one. Set the cake on a wire rack over a baking sheet. Using a small offset metal spatula, spread the raspberry jam evenly over the top and sides of the cake. Pour the warm glaze on top of the cake and, using the clean spatula, spread it evenly over the top and sides, covering it completely. Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes.

  FINISH THE CAKE

  9. Put the white chocolate in a small stainless steel bowl and place the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. Heat, stirring frequently, until the chocolate is completely melted. Remove the chocolate from the heat.

  10. Put a tiny dab of pink paste food coloring on the tip of a toothpick and add it to the white chocolate. Whisk the chocolate to blend in the color. The chocolate should be a pretty pastel pink color—don’t add too much food coloring. Scrape the chocolate into a small parchment paper cone or into a small sealable plastic bag. If using the bag, seal it and snip a tiny hole in one of the bottom corners. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and drizzle the chocolate in a diagonal zigzag pattern over the top.

  11. Refrigerate the cake for at least 20 minutes to set the chocolate.

  12. Let the cake stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.