Raspberry Chocolate Torte

I just finished making this for Valentines Day but I bet it doesn't last that long.

Chocolate Raspberry Torte          12 servings

1 cup unsalted butter

1 pound semisweet chocolate

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon almond extract

6 eggs, separated and at room temperature

TOPPING

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

3 cups fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly oil a 10-inch round cake pan, line bottom with parchment paper, spray oil on the parchment and dust with flour. Over low heat, melt butter with chocolate. Remove from heat. Combine sugar with cocoa and whisk into chocolate. Whisk in sour cream, extract and egg yolks.

In a separate bowl, whip egg whites to soft peaks and fold into chocolate one third at a time. Turn mixture into cake pan, set it in a large roasting pan, and pour in enough hot water to go 1 inch up sides of cake pan. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce temperature to 325 degrees and bake for an additional 40 to 50 minutes; the center will appear soft and the sides firm. Remove from oven and cool on a rack. Refrigerate cake overnight.

The next day, remove cake from pan. Invert a plate on top, then flip pan over. Peel off parchment paper. Spread raspberry jam over top, then smother with raspberries. To make clean slices, use a knife warmed in hot water, then dried with a towel; clean knife and repeat for each slice.

(From “Angels in My Kitchen: Divine Dessert Recipes” by Caryl Westwood, Celestial Arts.)