Chocolate Decadence Cake

I have found it: the perfect, fudgy chocolate cake recipe. It contains very little flour, but is not considered a flourless cake. It is moist and rich and so full of good chocolate flavor, you won't believe your tastebuds. Friends who ate it said in one long breath: "Oh my God this is so good" when they took the first bite. My husband horded it, even putting off his New Year's diet so he could indulge in the cake. Best of all, it's one of those cakes that is so easy to make (5 ingredients) that you can't believe it could possibly taste this complicated.

It took me 15 minutes to make the cake. (Minus baking time, but really, there's no work in that). It required two bowls, one for the chocolate and one mixing bowl. My kitchen remained clean, it was phenomenal...I will be sure to make it for a last minute "throw together" dessert that will make people think I went to the high end bakery in town to impress them with a fabulous cake.

Where did I find it? None other than the flawless Pierre Hermé. It's one of his recipes (called "Suzy's Cake") in his Chocolate Desserts by Pierre Hermé book, one of the treasures I received for Christmas. If you love to bake and love a challenge, I highly recommend this book, it is full of must-bakes! I can't wait to try some of them, hopefully I am worthy! If not, I'll gladly head to his bakery in Paris...it's like a pastry museum!

Ingredients:

8 3/4 oz. bittersweet chocolate (I used Valrhona, 71%), finely chopped

2 1/4 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

4 large eggs at room temp.

1/2 cup plus 1 Tb. all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 9 inch cake pan, line the bottom with parchment, butter the parchment and flour the pan.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, set it aside to cool, it should be just warm when you mix it in with the rest of the ingredients.

Beat the butter and sugar in a mixer with the paddle attachment for about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides as needed.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating between each egg for about one minute.

With the mixer still running (not too high), add the chocolate and beat until just incorporated.

Again with the mixer still running (not too high), add the flour and beat until just incorporated. Finish mixing the ingredients with a rubber spatula, being sure all the flour has been incorporated into the batter.

Fill the cake pan and bake for about 28 minutes or so. When you take the cake out, the middle will look like it's not yet cooked. That is normal. A knife inserted in the center will come out with some batter on it. That too is normal. You don't want to over-bake the cake.

Cool on a wire rack. When the cake is at room temperature, place the cake in the refrigerator for an hour or two, this makes it easier to unmold.

Unmold cake onto a wire rack and then invert onto a serving platter.

The cake is FABULOUS with whipped cream or creme anglaise. The cake can be kept wrapped at room temperature or in the refrigerator for 3 - 4 days, or frozen for up to a month.