Chocolate Decadence Cake
Topped with mounds of whipped cream, this iconic 1970s dessert is as sensuous to make as it is to eat.
- Makes
One 8-inch cake
- Time
1 hour 45 minutes, plus chilling

As delectable as this chocolate cake is, it’s the seduction of preparing it that makes it so fitting as a Valentine’s Day dessert. This recipe for Chocolate Decadence cake comes from Janice Feuer Haugen, who invented it in 1976 while she was a pastry chef at Narsai David’s eponymous restaurant Narsai’s in Berkeley, California. Adapted from a chocolate truffle cake, the recipe uses bittersweet chocolate, whipped eggs, and sugar to deliver a rich, creamy cake that’s hidden under clouds of whipped cream and chocolate curls and served with a perfectly tart raspberry sauce. Whether made for a crowd or enjoyed sliver by sliver at the kitchen counter, this is a cake that delivers on its name. (To make this cake gluten-free, simply swap in almond flour for the all-purpose flour.)
Adapted from “Chocolate Decadence” by Janice Feuer Haugen. Copyright © 1976. Available from Sweet Mouthfuls.
Featured in “I Still Make the Chocolate Cake From This Sexy 1976 Cookbook” by Jessica Carbone.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 lb. bittersweet chocolate (60–70% cacao), coarsely chopped
- 10 Tbsp. unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp. sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
For the topping:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 Tbsp. onfectioners sugar, plus more for the berries (optional)
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate (60–70% cacao) from a block, just above room temperature
- 8 oz. fresh or frozen raspberries
Instructions
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- Make the cake: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425°F. Line an 8-inch round cake pan (cake baked in a 9-inch pan will be too thin) with a parchment round.
- In a medium pot over medium heat, bring a few inches of water to a simmer. To a medium heatproof bowl, add the chocolate and butter. Place the bowl over the pot and cook, stirring continuously, until the mixture is fully melted and satiny smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove the bowl and set aside.
- Place a second medium heatproof bowl over the pot and turn the heat to medium-low. Add the sugar and eggs and cook, stirring continuously, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture deepens in color and is just warm to the touch, about 3 minutes.
- Quickly remove the egg mixture from the heat and, using a hand mixer, beat on high until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes.
- Using a silicone spatula, very gently fold the flour into the egg mixture until fully combined. Stir one-third of the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture, then fold the chocolate mixture into the remaining egg mixture, stirring gently until fully combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and tap the pan lightly on the counter to release any air bubbles. Bake until the cake is just set and still a little soft in the center and crusty on top, about 15 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and set aside to cool for at least 20 minutes, then place in the freezer for at least 12 hours. (The cake can be frozen for up to 1 month.)
- Make the topping: To a medium bowl, add the cream, confectioners sugar, and vanilla. Using a hand mixer, whip until the mixture is smooth and firm enough to hold its shape, about 5 minutes. (Do not overwhip.) Refrigerate until ready to assemble the cake.
- Into a small bowl, use a vegetable peeler to shave thick curls from the chocolate. Set aside.
- In a blender, purée the raspberries for about 3 minutes. Pour the purée through a fine-mesh strainer into a small bowl or pitcher. Taste and add a little confectioners sugar if desired. Set aside.
- Retrieve the cake from the freezer, then invert onto a platter (gently warm the bottom of the pan over low heat to release the cake if needed) and remove the parchment. Spread the whipped cream in a thick layer on the top of the cake and pile the chocolate curls in the center. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes, or up to 2 hours.
- The cake is best served cool or at room temperature, so take it out of the fridge about 15 minutes before serving. Using a knife that has been run under hot water and wiped dry between each cut, cut the cake. Serve with the raspberry purée.
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