The Silver Palate Cookbook, which is one of my favorites, has a recipe for "Decadent Chocolate Cake." If that cake is decadent, the word to describe this one is unprintable. I never thought that a dessert could be too rich or too sweet for me. The first time I had this cake, my hostess cut me a thin slice. I thought, "She doesn't know whom she is dealing with." (Do you wonder if I really think "whom" instead of "who"?) She knew. I defy anyone to eat more than a thin slice of this unbelievably wonderful cake. If a regular 9" round, two-layer cake serves about a dozen people, this one will serve 20. But then I know you will not believe me. You will have to learn this delicious lesson for yourself.
6 oz. Butter
6 squares Unsweetened Chocolate
6 Extra Large Eggs
3 Cups Sugar
1/2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Vanilla
1 1/2 Cups Flour
1 1/2 Cups Chocolate Chips
For the icing:
4 squares Unsweetened Chocolate
1/3 Cup Honey
1 Tbs. Instant Coffee
1/4 Cup Water
3 Egg Yolks
3 Cups Confectioners' Sugar
3 oz. Butter
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Melt the 6 ounces of butter and the 6 squares of unsweetened chocolate together over a low flame; set aside to cool until lukewarm. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the 6 eggs. Add the sugar, salt, and vanilla and mix well. Finally add the flour and the chocolate chips.
Grease two 9" round cake pans (at least 1 1/2" high) and line them with wax paper. Pour in the cake batter and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes. If you like cake fudgey as I do, bake it less; if you like it cakey, bake it more. The cake will become puffy, and circular cracks will appear in the top when it is done. Cool the cakes on racks in the pans; remove when cooled.
For the icing, melt the chocolate in the top of a double boiler with the honey, coffee, and water. Once all of the chocolate is melted, remove from the heat and cool until lukewarm. Once the chocolate mixture has cooled, whisk in the egg yolks, the sugar, and the butter. Spread this thinly over the cake. It is somewhat difficult to spread, but worth the effort. One side of the cake will be crusty; spread the frosting on that. You can refrigerate this cake, but serve it at room temperature. Remember what I warned you about small pieces!