Ultra-dense truffle cake the last word in chocolate

Related: • More on food, including recipes and columnists Previous From the Menu Of articles: • McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant: Chocolate Truffle Cake 12.29,2003 • Greenwood's: Swan Collard Greens 12.22,2003 • Swan Coach House: Swan Coach House Veggie Slaw 12.18,2003 • Nava: Sweet Potato Cabrales Blue Cheese Gratin 12.11,2003 • Oak Grove Market: Wild Rice and Chicken Soup 12.4.2003 • Mick's: Mick's Restaurants' Famous Oreo Cheesecake 11.24.2003 • Buckhead Diner: Fried Calamari With Pepper Jelly 11.13.2003 • City Cafe and Bakery: Almond Horns 11.06.2003 • Gibson's 1882 Dining House: Chilled Strawberry Soup 10.30.2003 • Sotto Sotto: Risotto ai Frutti di Mare 10.23.2003 • Watershed: Caramel-glazed apple cake 10.16.2003 • Cafe Istanbul: Roasted Eggplant Salad merits a double scoop 10.09.2003 • Wisteria: Molasses-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin 10.02.2003 • Zocalo: Crema de Chile Poblano 09.25.2003 • Imperial Fez: Cornish Hen Tagine With Artichoke, Preserved Lemon and Olives 09.18.2003 • Atlanta Fish Market: Sun-Dried Tomato Caesar Salad 09.11.2003 • Atlanta Fish Market: Hong Kong-Style Fish 09.04.2003 • Our Way Cafe: Sweet Potato Souffle 08.28.2003 • Kyma: Melitzanosalata 08.21.2003 • Commune: Coca-Cola Glazed Baby Back Ribs 08.14.2003 • Dish: Shrimp and Shiitake Cakes 08.07.2003 • Alfredo's: Ricotta cheesecake 07.31.2003 • Grapes & Beans, Clayton: Hummus 07.24.2003 • Surin of Thailand: ThaiIced Coffee 07.17.2003 • Cafe de Nice, Atlanta: Ratatouille Flan 07.10.2003 • Noche, Atlanta: Corn Masa 07.03.2003 • The Brickery Grill & Bar, Sandy Springs: Penne Pasta with Spicy Sausage, Tomato and Cream Sauce 06.26.2003 • Slovakia, Atlanta: Meatloaf 'Slovakia' With Tomato-Basil Sauce 06.19.2003 • The Shark Bar, Atlanta: Miss Ruby's Seafood Gumbo 06.12.2003 • Petite Auberge's New Orleans Bread Pudding 06.05.2003 • Flying Biscuit, Atlanta: Fried green tomatoes 05.29.2003 • Ted's Montana Grill, Norcross: Cream of Tomato Soup 05.22.2003 • Goldfish Restaurant: Southern Shrimp and Grits 05.15.2003 • The Vortex: Pimento Cheese 05.08.2003 • Aria: Orange Poundcake with Lemon Sauce 05.01.2003 • Traveling Fare Caterers, Marietta: Seafood Crepes 04.24.2003 • Colonnade, Atlanta: Colonnade Corn Muffins 04.17.2003 • Fratelli di Napoli, Atlanta and Roswell: Chef's Spinach Salad 04.10.2003 • Mangia 101, Atlanta: Rigatoni Gorgonzola 04.03.2003 • Crescent Moon: Crescent Moon's Griddle-Fried Grits 03.27.2003 • River Room Restaurant: River Room Lemon Tart 03.20.2003 • The Abbey: Butternut Squash Bisque with Cranberry Coulis 03.13.2003 • Spice: Jicama-Asian Pear Salad 03.06.2003 • Seeger's: Sweet Potato Soup With Gratineed Red Wine Apple Puree 02.27.2003 • Stoney River Legendary Steaks: Garlic Mashed Potatoes 02.20.2003 • Antica Pasta: Panna Cotta 02.13.2003 • Dunwoody Farmhouse Tea Shoppe: Shrimp Salad 02.06.2003 • High Cotton: Marinated Rib-eye 01.30.2003 • Buckhead Diner: Rocky Road Creme Brulee 01.23.2003 • Marietta Diner: Seafood Bisque 01.16.2003 • Nava: Smoked Tomato Grits 01.09.2003 • Pascal's Bistro: Portobello Mushroom Salad 01.02.2003 Archive: • 'From the Menu Of...' 2002

Q: I have recently eaten at McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant. It has the most wonderful dessert. If at all possible, I would like to get the recipe for that dessert. It's called Flourless Chocolate Truffle Cake With Raspberry Sauce.

-- Jerrie Wright, Atlanta

A:  Rex Horrell (below), executive chef at the restaurant at CNN Center, was happy to share the recipe for this dense, flourless chocolate cake. He recommends using very high-quality chocolate for best results. Horrell bakes the cake in a convection oven. If using a conventional oven, bake at 350 degrees and add 20 to 30 minutes to the cooking time. The cake is served with a sweetened raspberry sauce.

DESSERT

Chocolate Truffle Cake

Makes 12 servings

Preparation time: 25 minutes, plus overnight refrigeration

Cooking time: 50-60 minutes

2 cups (4 sticks) butter

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped

5 eggs

6 egg yolks

Preheat oven to 325 degrees on a convection setting. In a saucepan, heat butter, milk and sugar to scalding, stirring frequently. Make sure butter is melted. Remove from heat and add chocolate, stirring until chocolate is melted. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a bowl, whisk eggs and yolks together. Gradually whisk eggs into chocolate mixture, beating until completely combined.

Line an 8-by-2 1/2-inch springform pan with buttered parchment paper, making sure the paper circle comes up 1/2 inch on the side of the pan to seal. Pour batter into the pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes. The sides will be puffy and slightly cracked. The center will be soupy but will set as it chills. Refrigerate overnight. Run a knife around the edges of the pan and release springform.

Per serving: 609 calories (percent of calories from fat, 76), 9 grams protein, 31 grams carbohydrates, no fiber, 56 grams fat, 269 milligrams cholesterol, 356 milligrams sodium.

Is there a restaurant recipe you'd like to make at home? Tell us what you're looking for and perhaps we can help you get it. If we succeed, we'll have the recipe tested and adapted for the home kitchen, if necessary. Because of volume, we can't answer all inquiries. Send your request, along with address and phone number, to: Mail: Betty Parham, Food Department, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 72 Marietta St. N.W., Atlanta, GA 30303. E-mail: menu@ajc.com. Fax: 404-526-5509.