A little butter wont hurt you, says the chocolate torte

"A little butter won't hurt you," was Julia Child's famous mantra.


"This is so bad for you," remarked my daughter as she dropped another stick of butter in with the melted chocolate. ` Kirsten has taken to doing all the celebratory desserts in this house. There are worse things in life than having your daughter become a baking queen. We will all gain weight until classes begin in the fall. As I said, there are worse things.

But if you believe no celebration is complete with a bite of chocolate, this is your cake. Serve it with some fresh raspberries to up your health quotient. But do serve it.

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Moist and delicate. Elegant and simple. Creamy, dense and rich, it has a way of making everyone at the dinner table feel warm, snuggly and loved. And that's why you bake, isn't it?

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For ease, bake this cake the day before. The buttery-chocolatey mixture needs time to set completely. After glazing, it again needs time to set.

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Flourless Chocolate Cake adapted from Williams Sonoma - serves 10

10 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

3/4 cup butter cut into pieces (plus extra for greasing)

5 large egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt 3 large egg whites - room temperature

cocoa powder for dusting

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Chocolate Glaze

1/2 cup butter cut into pieces

8 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

Flourless Chocolate Torte Preparation

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease bottom of 8-inch round cake pan and line it with parchment paper. (Yes, do line it).

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In the top of a double boiler over simmering water combine chocolate and the butter. Melt and whisk to blend. Set aside.

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In a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks, 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla and salt until pale and very thick. Gradually pour in chocolate mixture. Beat till well blended.

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In a separate large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until medium peaks forms. In thirds, fold egg white mixture into chocolate mixture. Fold until no streaks remain.

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Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake about 35 minutes - until sides puff up a bit and toothpick inserted comes out moist but not liquid. Cool for 30 minutes.

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To invert cake: Run a knife around the edges to loosen the cake. Hold a plate over the cooled cake and invert it onto a flat plate. Remove parchment paper Cool completely. You may then cover and refrigerate until cold - at least 4 hours or overnight.

Chocolate Glaze Preparation

Combine 1/2 cup butter and chopped bittersweet chocolate in a double boiler over barely simmering water. Whisk till blended. Remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons of light corn syrup. Stir until stunningly glossy. Put cold cake on a wire rack over a large sheet of wax paper or baking pan (to catch spills). Slowly pour glaze over the center of the cake. It will spread over the surface and drop down the sides. Help the glaze along with a spatula if it does not cooperate. Refrigerate until firm. About two hours.

To serve: Garnish with raspberries.
Note: While it does have several steps, this is a very easy cake. Trust me. When the cake isn't easy, Kirsten threatens the batter with the garbage can. She never threatened this cake once.

It's not your daily fare. But it brings a touch of class and a chocolate embrace to the end of a gracious meal.

No, it's not Italian. Does it matter?