Chocolate, without Berries

When I asked J what her favorite dessert flavor is, she replied chocolate. Without raspberries. I had really pegged her as a fruit dessert person and was contemplating a sugared berry one-layer cake from Martha Stewart. I have blackberries and blueberries in the fridge. I almost bought scented strawberries today. Or, something apple. It is her birthday next week and we work together tomorrow night. I turned to a few cookbooks and decided on Suzy's Cake from Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé. I had all the ingredients and used my last tablespoon of butter for it. Pierre told me not to skimp on chocolate quality. I did and used TJs Bittersweet by the pound. I'd probably do it again too. It was not too over the top chocolate but nicely decadent in a quotidien fashion. It was a pedestrian rich chocolate. We ate it in the office on sheets of foil. The sweetened whipped cream broke any chance of illness from overdoing it.



Suzy's Cake
Serves 8 to 10

8 3/4 ounces (250 grams) bittersweet chocolate, preferable Valrhona Guanaja, finely chopped
2 1/4 sticks (9 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 C sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 C plus 1 T all-purpose flour

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan that is at least 2 inches high, line the bottom with parchment paper, butter the paper, and dust the inside of the pan with flour; tap out the excess and set the pan aside.
Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over—not touching—simmering water and heat until the chocolate is melted; or melt the chocolate in a microwave oven. Set the chocolate aside to cool; it should feel only just warm to the touch when you mix it with the rest of the ingredients.
Put the butter and sugar in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl frequently, until the butter is creamy and the sugar well blended into it. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each addition. Reduce the mixer speed to low, pour in the cooled chocolate, and mix just until it is incorporated. With the mixer still on low, add the flour and mix only until it disappears into the batter. Alternatively, you can fold in the last of the flour with a rubber spatula. You'll have a thick, smooth, satiny batter that looks like old-fashioned chocolate frosting.
Scrape the batter into the pan, smooth the top, and slide the pan into the oven. Bake for 26 to 29 minutes, or until the cake rises slightly and the top has lost its sheen. The top may crack a bit and the cake may not look entirely set in the center; when you test the cake by inserting a slender knife into the center, the knife will come out lightly streaked with batter, which is what you want. Transfer the cake to a rack to cool.
When the cake has cooled, chill it in the refrigerator for an hour or two to make it easy to unmold. Turn the cake out, remove the parchment, and invert the cake onto a serving platter so that is is right side up. Allow the cake to come to room temperature before slicing and serving.
Keeping: The cake can be wrapped in plastic and kept at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or frozen for up to a month.