Now and then, you want a cake — and not some layer cake made of frou-frou icing and piped flowers and such, but, rather, a substantive cake of slices and richness, pulled from a Bundt pan steaming and luscious. Hence this go-to crowd pleaser cake for me, which is a) taken from the first volume of the San Francisco Chronicle Cookbook (the only worthwhile enterprise that squalling ruin of a ‘paper’ has ever given us) and b) named, in P.T. Barnum-style by me as ‘El Torte Del Diablo.’ But really, it’s …

CHOCOLATE ANCHO CHILE AND ORANGE CAKE

2 sticks butter at room temperature

1.5 C White Sugar

5  Eggs, room temperature

1 3/4 C sifted all-purpose flour (Don’t use Cake Flour; it’ll be too delicate)

1/2 tsp salt

Zest of 2 oranges

2 Tbsp Orange Juice

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 cup Chocolate syrup (See note)

4 Tbsp Ancho Chile Puree

2 Tbsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350; butter a 10-inch Bundt pan. 

1) Beat butter with electric mixer; gradually add sugar. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing well after each. Add flour and salt. 

2) Divide batter IN HALF. 

3) To half batter, add orange zest, orange juice and 1/2 tsp of the Baking Soda; spoon into buttered bundt pan. 

4) To other half batter, add chocolate syrup, ancho puree, remaining 1/2 tsp baking soda and vanilla. Pour over Orange Batter. 

5) Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until cake tester inserted comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on rack for 10 minutes, then unmold onto plate. (DO NOT wait too much longer than 10 minutes to do this — a too-hot cake is fragile, but a cold cake locks into the pan.)

6) Brush with a simple orange glaze — orange juice, orange zest and confectioner’s sugar — while warm. 

CHOCOLATE SYRUP: 

You’ll have a little left over. You can use it in plenty of places. 

1/4 c water

1/8 cup butter (2 Tbsp)

1 Tbsp honey

4 oz Semisweet chocolate

.5 oz unsweetened chocolate

Combine in saucepan under gentle heat. Stir until smooth. Take your time. 

ANCHO CHILE PUREE

4 Dried ancho chiles

Boiling water to cover. 

Rinse chiles. Place in bowl, cover with boiling water. Soak at least 2 h. remove stems, seeds. Place chiles and 1/2 cup water (use soaking water, if not bitter) in blender. puree until smooth. (Yields 3/4 of a cup; freeze leftovers. Use for things like insta-tacos, adding frozen puree to taste to browned meat.)