Ingredients
- 8 large eggs, cold
- 1 lb. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (Don’t skimp here. I like Ghirardelli’s for this. Better quality chocolate will make a big difference.)
- ½ lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch chunks. Butter, not margarine.
- ¼ cup brewed coffee - strong
- Confectioner’s sugar for decoration
Directions
- Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line bottom of 8-inch spring form pan with parchment and grease pan sides. Cover pan underneath and along sides with sheets of heavy-duty foil and set in large roasting pan. Bring a kettle of water to boil.
- Beat eggs with a mixer (a great use of a stand mixer if you have one) at high speed (hand mixer) or medium (stand mixer) until volume doubles to approximately 1 quart, about 5 minutes.
- Melt the chocolate, butter, and coffee in large heatproof bowl set over pan of almost simmering water, until smooth and very warm, stirring once or twice.
- Fold a third of egg foam into chocolate mixture using large rubber spatula until only a few streaks of eggs are visible; fold in half of remaining foam, then last of remaining foam, until mixture is totally homogenous.
- Scrape batter into prepared spring form pan and smooth surface with rubber spatula. Set roasting pan on oven rack and pour in enough boiling water to come about halfway up side of spring form pan. Bake until cake has risen slightly, edges are just beginning to set, a thin glazed crust (like a brownie) has formed on surface, and an instant-read thermometer inserted halfway through center of cake registers at 140 degrees, 22 to 25 minutes. Remove cake pan from water bath and set on wire rack; cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight to mellow (can be covered and refrigerated for up to 4 days).
- About 30 minutes before serving, remove spring form pan sides, invert cake on sheet of waxed paper, peel off parchment pan liner, and turn cake right side up on serving platter.
- To decorate and serve, use doily or paper cut with a snowflake pattern and sift powered sugar over the top of the cake. Cut and serve as you would a cheesecake.
This is a VERY rich cake. It will serve over a dozen easily.
Source: Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
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