I've made this cake twice now and it falls under the same category as Mim's post "Death by Chocolate Cake;" incredible chocolate deliciousness...probably insane amount of calories...but you just must ignore that thought and enjoy the rich, chocolate perfection! Seriously, this is really, really yum. I did add my comments and helpful suggestions. The cake isn't super sweet so I preferred a little sweeter frosting. Sorry for the terrible picture; the cake had been DEVOURED before I realized I should have gotten a picture!
SERVES 1 TO 8!
YOU WILL NEED:
9–inch round cake pan
wax paper
large Pyrex bowl
large mixing bowl
sauce pan
wire rack
8 ounces good–quality semisweet chocolate
1 ½ sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened (I used salted butter once and actually liked it better)
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
¼ cup all–purpose flour
6 eggs, separated, yolks lightly beaten
ICING: **I halved this and it made plenty**
8 ounces good–quality semisweet chocolate (one time I didn't have enough so I used half semi-sweet choc chips and half melted Hershey kisses! It worked fine.)
8 ounces heavy cream (I've used half-n-half and whole milk instead; makes it more liquidy so maybe add slightly less)
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Line the cake pan with wax paper and spray the bottom and sides of the paper with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Melt the chocolate in a Pyrex bowl set in a saucepan of simmering water or in a microwave on low heat. Mix in the butter and stir until melted.
4. Transfer to a large bowl and add the sugar, flour, and lightly beaten egg yolks. (I think this step is silly; I beat egg yolks in my Kitchenaid, then poured the yolks into the Pyrex bowl with melted chocolate along with the sugar and flour. Fewer steps and less mess.)
5. Whisk the egg whites until stiff (I beat these in my Kitchenaid for 10ish minutes--make sure the egg whites are truly stiff for best results). Gently fold half of the whites into the chocolate mixture, blending thoroughly, then fold in the remaining whites.
6. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for about 35 minutes. There will be a thin crust on top of the cake, and if tested with a toothpick the inside will appear undercooked (don't worry, the cake will get firmer as it cools). Remove from the oven, and let cool in the pan on a wire rack.
7. While the cake is cooling, make the icing. Melt the chocolate with the cream in a heavy–bottomed saucepan over lowest heat, stirring occasionally until the chocolate is fully melted and blended with the cream. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
8. When the cake is cool enough to handle, remove it from the pan and discard the wax paper. The cake is prone to sinking slightly in the middle, so flip it upside down before icing by placing a plate on top and carefully turning over the cake pan and plate together.
9. Carefully spread the chocolate icing all over the cake with a spatula.
