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1
Preheat the oven to 325F.
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2
Butter the bottom and sides of eight 4-ounce ramekins or one 9-inch cake pan (not a springform pan) and dust with sugar, tapping out the excess.
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3
TO MAKE THE CAKES, remove the stems, seeds, and veins of the chiles and toast them flat in a hot skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant, flipping them so they dont burn.
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4
Transfer to a bowl, cover with very hot water, and let soak until softened, 20 to 30 minutes.
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5
Drain, reserve the liquid, and puree the chiles in a blender or food processor, adding a bit of the liquid as needed to form a smooth paste.
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6
Press through a fine-mesh sieve if the paste isnt completely smooth.
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7
You will only need 1 1/2 tablespoons of the paste, but you can freeze the rest for later use.
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8
Place the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl.
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9
Combine the orange juice and sugar in a small pot over medium heat and cook, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved.
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10
Pour over the chocolate and stir until melted and combined.
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(I like to use a whisk, but dont beat it, simply stir.)
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Add the butter, little by little, and stir until melted.
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Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then add 1 1/2 tablespoons chipotle paste and the flour and salt, stirring until smooth.
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14
Pour into the prepared ramekins.
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15
Place the ramekins, evenly spaced, in a towel-lined baking dish to prevent them from sliding.
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16
Carefully pour hot water to fill three-fourths of the way up the sides.
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Bake until a thin, crusty layer forms on top and the cakes are set, 40 to 45 minutes.
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18
If using a cake pan it should take 50 to 55 minutes to bake.
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Remove the baking dish from the oven and remove the ramekins with a towel or tongs.
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20
Let cool for 10 minutes.
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Meanwhile, make the sauce.
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22
TO MAKE THE TOMATILLO SAUCE, remove the husks from the tomatillos, rinse them under cold water, dry with a towel, and coarsely chop them.
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Put them in a pot, scrape the vanilla bean into the pot and add the pod, and add the piloncillo, water, sugar, and canela.
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Cook over medium heat, stirring from time to time, until the tomatillos are very tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
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Remove and discard the vanilla pod and canela.
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Transfer to a food processor and puree to the desired consistency (completely smooth or a bit chunky).
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27
Let cool.
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(This can be made up to a week in advance and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
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29
If it is too thick, add a bit of water until it is a pourable consistency.)
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30
Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
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31
To unmold the cakes, dip a small, sharp knife into hot water, dry it quickly, and run it around the edges.
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Dip the bottom of the ramekins or cake pan into very hot water for about 1 minute (a bit longer if using a cake pan) and unmold onto plates.
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Be careful because they are fragile and will be difficult to move once they are unmolded.
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34
Chill in the refrigerator for at least 40 minutes if using ramekins, 1 hour if using a cake pan.
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35
To slice the cake, dip a sharp knife into very hot water and quickly dry with a towel between each slice (this will make nice clean edges).
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36
Serve the unmolded cakes at room temperature with sauce on the side.
