Recipe: Chocolate Decadence Cake with Raspberry Sauce

Chocolate Decadence Cake with Raspberry Sauce
Rec.food.recipes/Nicole Sevy (2001)

12 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/2 cup butter (no substitutions)
8 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Raspberry Sauce
10 ounces frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed
2 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

Topping
whipped cream
fresh raspberries

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9 inch springform pan; line bottom with parchment paper. Melt chocolate and butter till smooth. In a large bowl beat egg yolks with 2 tablespoons sugar and vanilla about 3 minutes till creamy.

Whisk a little of chocolate mixture into yolk mixture to warm it first and then whisk remaining chocolate mixture in. In another large bowl, beat egg whites with salt till foamy. Gradually beat remaining sugar in, beating till soft peaks form. Gently fold meringue into chocolate mixture. Gently whisk together till just blended. Spread batter in prepared pan and bake on lower rack for 30-35 minutes till a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Leave cake in pan, place on a rack to cool completely. Cake will shrink and fall as it cools.

Raspberry Sauce
Thoroughly drain raspberries, reserving syrup, in a small saucepan. Whisk cornstarch into syrup. Cook and stir over medium heat till slightly thickened. Cool completely. Gently mix in raspberries. Remove cooled cake from pan; peel off parchment. Place cake on serving plate. Pipe or dollop with whipped cream. Garnish with fresh raspberries, if desired. Cut into wedges to serve and add raspberry sauce to individual slices at serving.

It looks very pretty to put about a tablespoon of the sauce on a dessert plate and then put a slice of the cake on top of it with whipped cream and fresh raspberries on top.