Chocolate Cracked Earth (flourless Chocolate Cake)

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 lb bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 9 large eggs, separated
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream, cold
• confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 350 degrees f.
• 2 butter a 9-inch springform pan.
• 3 put the chocolate and butter into the top of a double boiler (or in a heatproof bowl) and heat over (but not touching) about 1-inch of simmering water until melted.
• 4 meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a mixing bowl until light yellow in color.
• 5 whisk a little of the chocolate mixture into the egg yolk mixture to temper the eggs - this will keep the eggs from scrambling from the heat of the chocolate; then whisk in the rest of the chocolate mixture.
• 6 beat the egg whites in a mixing bowl until stiff peaks form and fold into the chocolate mixture.
• 7 pour into the prepared pan and bake until the cake is set, the top starts to crack and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it, 20 to 25 minutes.
• 8 let stand 10 minutes, then remove sides of pan.
• 9 while the cake is cooking, make the whipped cream.
• 10 whip the cream until it becomes light and fluffy.
• 11 serve at room temperature dusted with confectioners' and the whipped cream.