Flourless Chocolate Cake

INGREDIENTS

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for pan
• 8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
• Sweetened whipped cream, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees with the rack in the center. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.
2. Place butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring each time, until completely melted. Let cool slightly. Whisk in egg yolks.
3. In a large bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add granulated sugar, and continue beating until glossy stiff peaks form. Whisk 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture; then gently fold in remaining egg whites.
4. Pour batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan and is set in the center, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack; remove sides of pan. Serve at room temperature, dusted with confectioners' sugar. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.

Notes and Comments: Chocolate lovers will adore this dessert. The edges and top develop a delicately crisp crust while the center remains moist and fudgy. I usually like a helpful serving of whipped cream on the top, followed with a (heavy) dusting of powdered sugar. Also, it looks really nice when you make a dollop of whipped cream in the middle of the slice and sprinkle it with a bit of powdered cocoa!

Did you recreate this recipe? Send me a picture here. I would love to see your creations!