Valentine Food Fantasies : What is the food of romance? : Double Truffle, Double Quick

There is one day of the year when no excuse is needed to indulge in chocolate. That day is, of course, Valentine’s Day.

To honor the holiday, I often plan a dessert party on Valentine’s Day. Because the holiday falls on Thursday this year, a workday, I’ve been looking for dishes that don’t take a lot of time to prepare.

One of the best recipes I’ve discovered is Chocolate and Coffee Truffle Cake from Rose Reisman’s book “Manhattan Dessert Scene” (Lymas Publications). The cake takes less than a half hour to assemble and can be prepared two to three days in advance.

You make it by combining melted chocolate and strong coffee with beaten eggs and sugar and cream. This mixture is baked, chilled and finally dusted with powdered sugar. The result is a creamy confection that is so delicious you cannot eat just one slice.

CHOCOLATE AND COFFEE TRUFFLE CAKE

16 ounces best-quality semisweet chocolate, broken in small chunks

1/2 cup prepared strong coffee

6 large eggs

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 cup whipping cream

Powdered sugar

Use butter or non-stick spray to coat 9 1/2- or 10-inch springform pan. Dust pan with flour.

Place chocolate and coffee in top of double boiler set over simmering water. Cook, stirring constantly, until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and set aside.

Beat eggs in bowl of electric mixer until foamy. Gradually add granulated sugar and continue to beat several minutes until mixture is pale yellow in color and thickened. Fold melted chocolate mixture into egg mixture.

Whip cream until just stiff and fold into chocolate mixture. Pour into prepared pan and place on center shelf. Bake at 350 degrees 40 to 50 minutes or just until center is no longer loose. Remove and cool on rack. Cover cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold. (Cake can be prepared and kept refrigerated 2 days ahead.)

Remove cake from pan. Sprinkle top with powdered sugar before serving. Makes 10 to 12 servings.