Valrhona flourless chocolate mousse cake on a thin layer of chocolate cake base. 10 inch round, $62
Tartine Bakery, San Francisco

I had some co-workers over shortly after my birthday and served this wonderfully delicious cake from Tartine Bakery. This is one of those cakes that a slice is more than enough. The cake was so rich and dense. I tried forcing people to take slices home because I didn’t want it in the house to tempt me. Suffice it to say I had more than my fair share.

You can see that the chocolate cake base is, indeed, very thin. The rest of the cake eats like a block of soft chocolate. Noms!

I love that the bakery provides a sheet on serving and keeping this cake. It reads, “Chocolate Souffle Cake, Opera Cake: Both of these cakes may be served cool or at room temperature. If served cool they are sliceable with a hot knife (run knife under very hot water and dry off to slice). The cakes may be served at room temperature, although they fillings will be considerably softer and more difficult to handle. The Opera will still be sliceable, however the Souffle Cake will have a soft, mousse-like consistency which some people prefer. These cakes keep well for several days in the refrigerator.”