It’s not quite swimsuit season. 

Thank God. 

But that doesn’t mean we can’t get a jump start. That’s why, on Easter Sunday, I decided to make for my family a flourless chocolate cake, in hopes of offsetting the copious amounts of pasta and pinot grigio consumed during the meal before. 

And what a stunner it was — almost souffle-like, lightened with egg whites and sweetened with rich, semisweet chocolate — filled with a boozy whipped cream and decadent cherry filling.

I’ve taken help from the fabulous Nigella Lawson, whose chocolate Easter nest cake was inspiration for my cake base. The cake itself puffs up in the oven, but falls concave in the center as it cools, providing a delicious nest to fill with whatever you’d like.

I finish my cake with different flair, however. Instead of a chocolate whipped cream and decorated with candy Easter eggs, my cake is almost a riff on traditional Black Forest gâteau, or Black Forest cake, but slightly deconstructed.

Here, I’m saying it’s okay to use frozen, pitted cherries to save you both time and energy. Although, during cherry season, fresh cherries would be absolutely divine, if you don’t mind pitting them yourself. If you do use fresh cherries, there may be slightly less juice than the stuff that comes in a bag, so try using less cornstarch to start and add more if necessary to thicken.

The red wine and crème de cacao are optional in both the cake and its adornments; however, they really bump up the flavor of both the chocolate and the cherries so I don’t recommend skipping them.

Another reason I love this kind of cake is because two out of three components can be made a day or two ahead. The cake and cherry filling will keep for three days in the fridge — just whip up the cream when you’re ready to serve.

And yes, you may lick the beaters.

— Staff Writer Alan Bennett can be contacted at 282-1535, ext. 329 or abennett@journaltribune.com.

Decadent flourless Black Forest gâteau
Start-to-finish: 2 hours (1 hour active)
Serves: 8

For the cake:
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces, softened
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, melted
6 large eggs: 2 whole; 4 separated
½ cup plus ⅓ cup superfine or granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon white crème de cacao (optional)

For the topping:
12 ounces frozen, pitted cherries, thawed
1 ½ cup plus ⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ cup dry red wine
1 cup heavy cream, cold
2 teaspoons white crème de cacao (optional) 
    Or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform cake pan with parchment paper.

For the cake: Stir butter into chocolate, reheating mixture to incorporate butter if needed, and let cool. In a medium bowl, whisk 4 egg whites until foamy. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar and beat with an electric mixer until whites hold their shape but are not too stiff. Reserve.

In a large bowl, whisk 2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks with ⅓ cup of sugar and vanilla until combined. If you’d like, add the crème de cacao to bump up the chocolate flavor. Stir in chocolate to mix.

In three additions, fold whites into chocolate mixture. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until cake rises, cracks and center is no longer wobbly. Cool cake on a wire rack; middle will sink and the sides will crack. Carefully remove cake from pan and place it on serving plate.

For the topping: In a small saucepan, heat the cherries with the sugar and red wine until boiling, stirring frequently. In a separate bowl, mix the cornstarch with two tablespoons of hot water, then add to the cherries. Boil for two minutes, then reduce heat to low. Simmer for 10 minutes until the mixture is thick and syrupy; chill and reserve.

In a large bowl and using an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and crème de cacao, if using, or vanilla extract, and beat until stiff but not so far that butter forms.

To assemble the cake, spread whipped cream over center of cake, leaving the sides uncovered, and then, using a slotted spoon, spoon the cherries over top. Drizzle with cherry syrup to garnish.