Flourless chocolate cake with strawberry-rhubarb jam

 
I need you to make me a promise. Right now.

You must promise me that you will make this cake as soon as possible. It is imperative that you promise me this because, if you don't, your life will not be complete.

(Yes, the cake is that good.)

Mr. Ninj described it as "better than restaurant-quality"; I'm calling it my new go-to dessert.

But wait -- there's more: it is ridiculously easy to make.

How easy? Well, can you boil water and use a spoon? Then you are imminently qualified to make this cake.

I'm participating once again in the From Scratch Club's virtual book club; currently, we are cooking from Sherri Brooks Vinton's Put 'Em Up! Fruit. Every two weeks, the group is assigned a different seasonal fruit or group of fruits to preserve (put 'em up) and then incorporate into a recipe (use 'em up). And we share our results with the rest of the group (and I, with you).

Our first fruit group was strawberries and rhubarb, the classic early-summer duo. I decided to cheat a little bit and use my roasted strawberry-rhubarb jam, since Sherri's book included recipes both for strawberry-rhubarb jam as well for roasted rhubarb (which was very similar) -- and I had already made a bunch of jars of my jam.

Lucky for you, one of Sherri's suggested recipes for using the jam was this flourless chocolate cake (topped with the jam). Frankly, I tried this recipe because I was pressed for time and happened to have all the ingredients in my pantry, but it turned out to be an excellent choice.

What a cake! 

It's very dense and chocolately, but not overwhelmingly so. I have often been nonplussed by flourless chocolate cake ordered in a restaurant because they are often too cloyingly chocolatey, too filling. This cake is more like a very rich, dense brownie.

And, while the cake is amazing, it is absolutely swoon-worthy with a dollop of strawberry-rhubarb jam, which gives is just a hint of tartness to balance all the sweetness.

So I'm setting you up with a very stealthy dessert: decadent and classy yet super quick and easy.

Are you ready to make me that promise yet?

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Strawberry-Rhubarb Jam (from Put 'Em Up! Fruit)

Ingredients:
4 ounces quality bittersweet chocolate, broken into bits
8 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs
2 tablespoons brewed coffee (not hot)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
Strawberry-rhubarb jam

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Butter/grease an 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper (grease the top of the paper, too).

Melt the chocolate in either a double boiler or a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Turn off the heat and add the butter, whisking until melted and incorporated.  Remove from the stove.

Completely whisk in the sugar and salt, followed by the eggs and the coffee. Lastly whisk in the cocoa until the mixture is smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes, until the top looks dry. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes and then invert the cake onto a plate to finish cooling.

Serve each slice topped with strawberry-rhubarb jam.