It’s been ages that I’ve been wanting to try Ina’s Chocolate Cassis cake after learning that Giada requests this every year for her birthday. It must be good if you’re using another chef’s recipe for your celebrations. And…it was SO good! While cassis is throughout all components of this cake, it really has no boozy feel to it like you’d find with a rum cake or the like. So, feed it to your kids…or not…actually, I don’t know, but it is delish!

Ina’s Chocolate Cassis Cake

For the cake:

• 1.5 sticks unsalted butter
• 10oz. bittersweet chocolate (or 16 oz. if you use far too much accidentally- recipe still turns out!)
• 1/2 cocoa powder
• 6 T. creme de cassis
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 5 eggs at room temperature
• 1 c. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. Kosher salt

For the glaze:

• 6oz. bittersweet chocolate
• 1/4 c. heavy cream
• 3 T. creme de cassis
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

To serve:

• 1 c. raspberries
• 1 c. strawberries
• 1/3 c. sugar
• 1/3 c. creme de cassis
• Whipped cream

1. Heat oven to 350F.
2. Grease a 9″ spring form pan. Cut parchment paper for the bottom, then grease that too. Set aside.
3. Melt butter and chocolate (10oz.) over simmering water, stirring until smooth.
4. Cool for 5 minutes then whisk in the cocoa powder, cassis, and vanilla until smooth. Set aside.
5. With a mixer beat together the eggs, sugar, and salt on high speed for 5 minutes until the mixture triples in volume.
6. With a spatula, fold the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until just combined.
7. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake about 35 minutes, until the center is just set.
8. Cool in pan for 30 minutes, then release the sides of the spring form pan.
9. Invert cake onto a serving plate and allow to fully cooled.
10. Once cooled (or the next day) make your glaze by melting chocolate and cream together over simmering water, stirring until smooth.
11. Remove from heat and stir in cassis and vanilla.
12. Allow glaze to cool for 10 minutes and spread just the glaze over the top of the cake.
13. Just before serving, combine berries with cassis and sugar and allow them to sit for 15 minutes.
14. Serve cake with berries and whipped cream.