A few years ago, I had a recipe for a flourless chocolate cake that was pretty amazing.  Dense, fudgy, and rich, it could quell a chocolate craving in just a bite or two.  I made that cake a few times to rave reviews but then as I got busier and didn't bake as often, I forgot about it.  Recently, I decided to bake a birthday cake for one of my friends.  After some googling for ideas, I decided on a flourless chocolate cake.  I couldn't find my old recipe, but I adapted several different ones that I found to make a new one.  Then I decided to make a raspberry chocolate ganache and top the whole thing with fresh raspberries.  Needless to say, my friend loved the cake.  Later on, I decided to make it in cupcake form to share with my coworkers.  One of them, who has celiac disease, was very excited that she could have a gluten-free dessert that also tasted great.

Sorry about the picture quality--these were taken with my phone.  I'll upload better ones the next time I bake this.

Everyone who tastes this cake (after they've recovered their powers of speech) will marvel at how difficult and time-consuming it must have been.  But one of the best things about this recipe is how easy it is.  So go ahead, impress your friends.  You can pretend that you've spent long hours in the kitchen--I won't tell.

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Chocolate Ganache: 

Flourless chocolate cake:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter

8 oz chocolate (you can use semisweet, bittersweet, or milk chocolate, depending on your preference)

1 ¼ cups sugar

1 cup cocoa powder

6 eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease a 9-in round pan (or use cupcake pan with liners).

Melt butter in pan over low heat.  Add chocolate and stir until melted. 

In bowl, stir together sugar and cocoa.  Add eggs, one at a time.  Mix until well-blended. 

Add chocolate-butter mixture to sugar, cocoa, and eggs.  Stir until smooth. 

Pour batter into pan (or fill cupcake liners about halfway—makes about 20 cupcakes).

Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out with soft crumbs.  Remove from oven and let cool.  Prepare chocolate raspberry ganache (see below), and pour on top of mostly cooled cake.  

Raspberry chocolate ganache:

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 cup chocolate chips

¼ cup seedless raspberry preserves

2 tablespoons butter

In a saucepan over low heat, bring cream to a simmer.  Add chocolate, preserves, and butter.  Stir over low heat for about a minute, or until smooth.  Remove from heat.  Let cool slightly, and pour over cake.  

This cake can be served warm or refrigerated to harden the ganache.  If you have a lot left over, I'd recommend cutting it into slices, wrapping them individually in plastic wrap or ziploc bags, and freezing them.  I've found that to be the best way to control my portions too, short of giving away all of the leftovers.