It was one of my BFF’s birthday’s this past weekend. Of course, I wanted to make her something nice and decadent.

Unfortunately, she avoids gluten so my Fabulous Fudgy Chocolate Layer Cake was not an option. Instead, I re-worked a flourless chocolate cake so it wasn’t too dense, but still quite fabulous.

Like all of my recipes, gourmet is made simple and approachable. I encourage you to try it for a special occasion. 🙂

CAKE:
4 oz fine quality bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup butter, unsalted*
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

*Unsalted is important so you can control the amount of salt in the recipe. Baking is a science!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Set up a double boiler (metal bowl situated atop a bit of boiling water in a saucepan). Chop chocolate into small pieces into double boiler. Add butter and melt together, stirring, until smooth.

Remove bowl from double boiler (careful: it’s HOT!). Whisk sugar into chocolate mixture. Add eggs and whisk well.

Sift in cocoa powder whisk until just combined.

Butter an 8 in. round cake pan. Line bottom with a round of wax paper. Butter wax paper as well.

Pour batter into pan. Bake in middle of oven, 25 minutes, or until top has formed a thin crust.

Cool 5 minutes and invert onto a serving plate.

While cake is cooling, begin Shell.

SHELL:
4 oz. Semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup blackberry jam (or flavor of choice)

Over double boiler, melt chocolate and jam together. Stir well to combine.

Using a spatula, frost cake with chocolate mixture. Let cool and harden in fridge at least 3-4 hours until a shell is formed.

Decorate as desired and celebrate!