In college, I dated a boy whose mother was an extraordinary baker. I was heartbroken after we stopped dating but realized I would persevere when I baked a chocolate cake just as delicious as his mother's. By slightly tweaking the canonical Baker's Chocolate Cake recipe, I found perfection: a cake that is fluffy but moist -- and that appeals to subsequent boyfriends. 

This afternoon, I baked this chocolate cake with my beautiful friend Agnes Fischer. It was the perfect treat for a snowy winter Sunday! I filled the cake with whipped cream and mixed berries.  

RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 5 oz. chocolate chips

• 1/2 cup water

• 4 eggs, separated

• 2 cups flour

• 1 tsp. baking soda

• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

• 2 cups sugar

• 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

• 1 cup buttermilk

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Prepare 2 or 3 9-inch cake pans by spraying with canola oil.  
• Whisk egg whites until they form tight peaks. Set aside.
• Combine chocolate and water, and microwave for 1-2 minutes or until completely melted. Stir at 30 second intervals.
• In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, and salt.
• In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. 
• In the following order, gradually add: egg yolks, vanilla extract, melted chocolate mixture. 
• Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk. 
• Gently fold egg whites into the batter. 
• Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes.
• Allow cake to cool for 15 minutes and then remove from pan. 
• To assemble alternately layer: cake, whipped cream, and berries. 

30 minutes active time, 1 hour total time. Serves 15.

Note: This cake batter is enough for 3 9-inch cake pans.