Posted by Olga at The Cutting Board Thursday Dec 29th, 2005 08:15 pm

This stunning, simple cake, decorated with fresh strawberries and red rosebuds, is for the incurable romantic. It's the freshest box of candy you'll ever eat.

For a decorative short-cut to transform an everyday simple cake into a Valentine Special: Arrange store-bought chocolates, still in their ruffled dark brown candy papers, on top of any single layer frosted cake.

Batter
3/4 cup (2 ounces) ground pecans
1/3 cup unsifted all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 tablespoons water
1/3 cup each granulated and light brown sugar
3 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon rum, optional
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 pint fresh raspberries, optional

Adjust rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8-inch heart-shaped pan and line with wax paper or parchment.

In a small bowl, mix nuts and flour.

Melt butter and chocolate in small saucepan over low heat. Blend in water until smooth. Transfer warm chocolate mixture to a large bowl, stir in the sugars. Cool five minutes, blend in yolks, then rum, then stir in nut-flour mixture.

Whip whites with one teaspoon sugar to soft, white peaks; stir-fold into chocolate mixture. Spoon batter into heart shape pan and smooth evenly. Bake 25 minutes, or until soft but not liquid in center. (Chocolate firms as it cools.) Remove from oven; cool 15 minutes, then invert on rack. Peel off paper.

Serves 14.

Chocolate Glaze
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

Place everything in a bowl that fits snugly over saucepan. Fill pan half full with 130 degree F water, set bowl on top. Stir occasionally until mixture is smooth, shiny and liquid. Place cool cake on cardboard on rack over jelly roll pan. Pour glaze onto cake, spread with long metal spatula. If desired, decorate the edges of the cake with fresh raspberries.