When you need a drop-dead chocolate cake

This is a handsome and delicious chocolate cake that Holly Safford of The Catered Affair gave me when I was editing "The New Boston Globe Cookbook" last year. I made it several times when she sent me the recipe, and then moved on to other desserts.

I made it over the weekend to bring to a dinner and I fell in love with the cake all over again. It's surprisingly light because you beat the whites separately and fold them into the batter. When the cake is cooled, you spoon a delectable chocolate-espresso glaze over the cake, which seeps in just a little.

Holly calls the cake "Aunt Selma's Chocolate Cake," but no one remembers whose aunt Selma is. When Holly got the recipe, it was signed Helen Daly.

Aunt Selma's Chocolate Cake with Espresso Glaze

Makes 1 large cake

CAKE

Butter and flour (for the pan)

1 cup cool black coffee

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 eggs, separated

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Set the oven at 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch Bundt pan. Dust the pan with flour, tapping out the excess.

2. In a saucepan over low heat, combine the coffee and chocolate. Cook, stirring, until they melt; do not boil.

3. In a bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt to blend them.

4. In an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until well combined. Add the yolks, one at a time, beating after each addition.

5. Stir in the chocolate and vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer set on its lowest speed, blend in the flour. Scrape the batter up from the bottom to make sure it is well blended.

6. In an electric mixer or with a rotary beater, beat the whites until they hold stiff peaks. Stir a large spoonful of whites into the chocolate batter. Fold in the remaining whites as lightly as possible until no white patches show.

7. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top. Bake the cake for 45 minutes or until the top is firm and the cake pulls away slightly from the sides of the pan. Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes.

8. Turn the cake out onto a rack set on a rimmed baking sheet. Leave to cool completely.

GLAZE

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1. In a saucepan, heat the cream and espresso. Add the chocolate and cook, stirring, until smooth; do not boil.

2. Cool the glaze for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Spoon the glaze over the cake. Set aside for 30 minutes to set. Use two wide metal spatulas to transfer the cake to a serving platter. Adapted from Helen Daly. Reprinted from "The New Boston Globe Cookbook"