Raspberry Pie Nestled in a Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake (Recipe)

This PIECAKEN is bursting with bold, bittersweet flavours. And it worked out perfectly the very first time I tried it, without any need for tinkering with my recipe.  So here is the recipe for a rich, delicious dessert, worthy of any high-end dessert café or a fancy dinner party.

And be prepared - this is a large cake!  You really should be planning to serve at least 12 people with this cake (and even then, you will still have a few leftover pieces). If you want something smaller, use a small pie (4"), cut the cake recipe in half, and place in a 6" to 8" cake pan (instead of 10").

Raspberry Pie Nestled in a Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake (Recipe)

For the pie, you need:

• The Perfect Pie Crust (see our recipe here)
• 4 cups of frozen whole raspberries (one 600g bag less a cup)
• 1 cup of sugar (preferably unbleached, golden cane sugar or a whole brown sugar)
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. cinnamon

For the cake, you need:

• 16 ounces / 454 grams of 70% dark chocolate (any 70% dark chocolate, such as Lindt, or an organic and Fair Trade brand like Green & Blacks or Camino brands), broken into 1 inch pieces.
• 1 lb butter / 454 grams (for a milk/dairy free version, use equivalent in Coconut Oil), chopped in cubes
• 1 and 1/4 cups of sugar (I have now made this cake with regular granulated sugar, organic golden cane sugar and a lower glycemic version with coconut sugar - they all worked out great!
• 8 eggs, at room temperature (place in a bowl of warm water if cold)
• 1.5 tsp. of sea salt

For the topping/glaze:

• 8 ounces / 227 g of semi-sweet dark chocolate (50% to 65%)
• 1/2 cup cream or 1/3 cup water
• 1 tbsp. corn syrup, agave syrup or honey

Baking Instructions:

To make the pie:

1. Thaw the raspberries in a medium mixing bowl in the fridge overnight or on the counter for 4 hours (or in the microwave from frozen for 1 minute).  Then pour out some of the juice from the bottom of the bowl (pour into a cup and drink it - it's healthy!).
2. Add the sugar, cinnamon and lemon juice and stir well.
3. Pour into your prepared pie shell (follow the recipe and be sure to pre-bake the pie crust for 10 minutes first before adding the filling).
4. Add a top crust and seal with an egg wash (1 egg yolk and three tbsp. of water, milk or cream) and brush the top with the egg wash.
5. Poke holes in the top crust with a fork.
6. Place the pie on a flat cookie sheet or pan to make it easier to move in and out of the oven (it also catches drips and keeps your oven clean!)
7. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 35 to 40 minutes
8. Let cool on a cooling rack for 1/2 to 1 hour before putting into your cake mix.

To make the cake:

1. Prepare a 10" springform cake pan with a round parchment paper in the bottom (you can use a regular 10" cake pan if you do not have a springform pan in that size).  Grease the paper and the sides of the cake pan.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Place the chopped butter and chocolate in a heat-proof bowl over a double boiler (a small pot with 1 inch of water in it at a low simmer) and stir constantly until melted. Remove from heat. You can use the stainless steel bowl from your stand mixer, if it does not have a thick-plated or rubber base.
4. Add the sugar and stir well.  Let rest five minutes.
5. Add all 8 eggs and mix with a hand mixer (or stand mixer) until well blended (do not over-beat, if it starts to get fluffy, stop mixing).
6. Toss in the salt and mix for about 10 seconds more with your hand mixer or with a spatula.
7. Pour 1/3 to 1/2 of the cake batter into your prepared cake pan.
8. Flip your pie over, upside-down onto the centre of the batter in the pan.
9. Pour the remaining batter over the pie.  Spread the batter around and into the edges to even out the top.
10. Bake in a preheated oven for 50 minutes. Turn off oven when done baking.  Open the door, pull out the oven rack the cake is sitting on and leave the door open for 15 minutes until the cake cool and sinks a bit.  Remove carefully from the oven, then let cool completely on a cooling rack. Refrigerate for at least two hours before flipping onto a serving plate and topping the cake.

For the topping and cake presentation:

1. Once completely cooled and chilled, run a hot knife around the edges and, if using, release your springform pan sides and remove. Place your serving plate upside down and centred onto the cake, then flip the cake and plate over so the cake is upside down on your serving plate (this means the pie inside the cake is now right-side-up!).
2. Place your broken chocolate pieces into a heat-proof bowl.
3. Boil the cream in a small pan on the stove top until it just reaches the boiling point. Pour it over the chocolate and stir with a wooden spoon slowly until completely mixed and smooth.
4. Add the tbsp. of syrup and stir. This will add a nice shine to your glaze. 
5. Pour over the cake and, working quickly with an offset spatula, spread to the sides and run along the sides to smooth out. Wipe any excess off of the serving plate with wet and dry paper towels.

Serve chilled, with red wine or a good dark roast coffee and enjoy!