This cake is like a super-moist fallen chocolate soufflé with a delicately crisp crust. It puffs up a lot while it bakes and then falls as it cools—so don’t panic. Be sure to give it at least 20 minutes to cool before serving; if it’s too warm, it will be tasty but much too difficult to cut.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 10-inch springform pan and wrap the outside with foil to prevent leaking; set aside.

Place the eggs and sugar in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whip attachment, and whip on high speed, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl, until very thick and fluffy, about 10 minutes. (Yes, it really takes that long; if you mix it for a shorter length of time, the cake will be only 1/4 inch tall.) Add the liqueur and mix well.

With the mixer on medium speed, add the butter, a few pieces at a time, and beat until well blended. (The batter may look "broken," or separated, at this point, but the chocolate will bind with the butter and fix that.) With the mixer on low speed, add the chocolate and vanilla extract, and mix until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the cake moves as one mass when you gently jiggle the pan, about 30 minutes. (It’s much better to underbake this cake than to overbake it; it will be a bit gooey, but I’ve never seen anyone turn up their nose at that.) Let cool for 10 to 20 minutes, remove the outer ring of the pan and the foil, then let cool about 30 minutes longer before serving.

Serve at room temperature, topped with a dusting of powdered sugar and softly whipped cream. Garnish with rose petals.

Caprial's Desserts
by Caprial Pence & Melissa Carey List Price: $32.50
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"Reprinted with permission from Caprial's Desserts by Caprial Pence and Melissa Carey. Copyright © 2001. Ten Speed Press, Berkeley, CA. www.TenSpeedPress.com"