Chocolate Cake Dressed In Berries (Gluten-Free)

For the week of Valentines Day, I designated a cookbook on theme: Intercourses: an aphrodisiac cookbook. From this cookbook, I selected a tiny chocolate cake. I used raspberries instead of strawberries, and apricot jam instead of strawberry jam, and Kirsch instead of vanilla extract, because that is what I had on hand, but you know, it worked. I was also pleased that the recipe was naturally gluten-free, and did not suffer because of this fact. This is a perfect cake for two! I have added a few details to the recipe to make it better for baking, things I wish the cookbook author had done.

Chocolate Cake Dressed in Berries

1/2 cup toasted almonds, finely chopped*
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla*
1/4 cup chopped fresh strawberries*
1/4 cup strawberry preserves
2 tbsp heavy cream
3 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips*
strawberries for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 F. Combine the almonds and cocoa powder in a small bowl. Cream the butter and sugars in a bowl until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and the vanilla. Fold in the almond mixture, then the fresh strawberries. Spoon mixture into a greased 8-inch springform pan. Bake 35-45 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool completely. Remove from the pan. Spread with the preserves. Bring cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove from heat and add chocolate chips. Stir until smooth; cool for 5 minutes. Pour over top of cake (let drizzle down the sides.) Garnish with fresh strawberries if desired.

*Notes from JennyBakes - I had a huge bag of almond flour, so I used 1/3 cup of that instead of the nuts. I used kirsh instead of vanilla and raspberries in place of strawberries, and chopped dark chocolate instead of chocolate chips. I would say you shouldn't boil the cream, but heat it, maybe 20 seconds in the microwave, and if needed, heat the chocolate and cream up until you can mix it smoothly. After five minutes of cooling, my chocolate was not going to drizzle down the sides, so I just spread it on top of the jam to the edge, and it was shiny and beautiful. 

Intercourses: an aphrodisiac cookbook, by Martha Hopkins and Randall Lockridge, first came out in 1997. It's now in a new edition titled The New Intercourses. I've owned it practically since I got married in 2000, which means it has moved between kitchens at least four times. Its focus is on a few recipes for ingredients that have been designated as aphrodisiacs, whether from tradition, shape, or other properties. The real draw for the cookbook is the gorgeous photography, nude models posing strategically with the key ingredients. I've made the honey peppered salmon recipe a bunch of times, but the rest of the cookbook has lingered on the shelves. After the success of this cake, I might be tempted to try more of the recipes. Some of the so-called aphrodisiacs don't bring romance to mind... black beans? Huh.