Bittersweet Chocolate Cake Recipe

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 sticks (3/4 lb plus 4 Tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup all purpose flour, sifted
• Powdered sugar
• 14 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, grated or broken into small pieces
• 3 Tbsp water (or more if needed)
• 12 eggs, separated
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons grated orange peel

Directions

1 Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Grease sides and bottom of a 10-inch springform pan. Add a few tablespoons of sugar and stir gently to all sides and bottom of the pan are coated with sugar. Tap the excess sugar.

2 Beat the egg yolks until sugar is pale yellow and thick and form a ribbon when they fall with a whip.


3 Put the chocolate and 3 tablespoons water in top of double boiler. Melt the butter in a double boiler, stirring until smooth. If the chocolate becomes too thick, and appears to thicken, whisk or a tablespoon more water. Allow to cool slightly.

4 Add the hot chocolate mixture to eggs. Add butter to room temperature. Add orange zest. Fold in the sifted flour. Mix well but gently.


5 Beat egg whites until stiff. Stir a large spoonful of the chocolate mixture into the beaten egg whites. Mix well. Pour this mixture into the chocolate mixture, fold together gently, incorporating the whites completely. Be careful at this stage not to overmix.

6 Pour the mixture into the pan. He will come on top of the pan. Located on the middle rack of the oven pan and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove the outer edge. Let cake cool completely before removing the pan bottom. Refrigerate.

7 Before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Makes 20 small, but quite rich, servings.