nana josé’s chocolate pecan cake

i’m a bit late on this one, but really, is there any bad time for a flourless chocolate cake? last week was passover with my girlfriend and her family, and a few days later was easter with my own family. i’m still recovering from over 100 hours of straight eating (mostly sweets) – chocolate caramel covered matzah to giant easter egg cakes. and lots of peanut butter cups.

once we arrived at my girl’s parent’s house, we got started on the cake, which could not have been easier (the whole thing is mixed in a blender!), but what makes the cake really work is the fresh berries and lime juice. i’m almost embarrassed to say that this was my first flourless cake, but it’s a perfect spring dessert (and the perfect end to a really awesome seder feast).

although the cake has a cup of pecans, the final result basically tastes like a rich brownie. to get a more intense pecan flavor, next time we might toast the pecans or even add some on top before serving. also, the recipe below calls for strawberries and blackberries, but we made ours with blueberries and raspberries. so even though passover is almost over, and even though you probably already have a house full of leftovers, don’t be afraid to whip up one more treat.

one last thing – i’m proud to announce that i’ll be entering the food blog battle arena with 5 other talented bloggers in the very first FOODIE FIGHT! foodie fights is a really cool spinoff of the cook offs going on over at macheesmo, and i’m excited to be a part of it. check out the foodie fights site for the rules, secret ingredients and other contestants. i can’t wait!

nana josé’s chocolate pecan cake
from The New York Times. makes 8-10 servings.

cake
1/4 cup plus 1 Tbsp butter or pareve margarine
6 oz bittersweet chocolate
1 cup pecans
6 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sugar
dash of salt

topping
3 Tbsp brown sugar
finely grated zest of 1 lime
juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup juice)
1 pint strawberries, washed, hulled and halved
1 pint blackberries, washed
mint sprigs, optional
lightly sweetened whipped cream, optional

1. for cake: preheat oven to 350F. line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and grease with 1 Tbsp butter.

2. using a double boiler or pan over simmering water, melt together chocolate and remaining 1/4 cup butter. set aside to cool.

3. using a blender, chop pecans finely. add eggs, vanilla, sugar, salt and melted chocolate mixture, blending until smooth. pour batter into pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes; cake should be moist but not wet. allow to cool completely.

4. for the garnish: in a large mixing bowl, combine brown sugar, lime zest and lime juice. add strawberries and blackberries, and toss gently. just before serving, toss again and spoon on top of cake. if desired, serve with lightly sweetened whipped cream.