Bete Noire Chocolate Cake

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 16
• 8 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 1/2 lb sweet unsalted butter, at room temp cut into small pieces
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 1/2 cup water
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces

Recipe

• 1 preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the center of the oven.
• 2 butter a 9â€? cake pan (not a springform) and place a circle of parchment or wax paper on the bottom, covering it completely. butter the paper.
• 3 chop both the chocolates into fine pieces and set them aside.
• 4 combine the water with 1 cup of the sugar in a heavy 1 1/2 quart saucepan. bring to a rapid boil over high heat and cook about 2 minutes.
• 5 remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately add the chocolate pieces, stirring until they are completely melted. then add the butter, piece by piece, stirring to melt it completely.
• 6 place the eggs and the remaining 1/3 cup sugar in either the bowl of an electric mixer or a regular mixing bowl. for a cake with a crunchy crust: beat the eggs and sugar in the electric mixer until they have tripled in volume. for a smooth top (better for frosting): mix the eggs and sugar only until the sugar dissolves.
• 7 add the chocolate/butter mixture to the eggs and mix to incorporate completely. do not overbeat! — this causes nasty air bubbles.
• 8 spoon and scrape the mixture into the prepared pan.
• 9 set the pan into a slightly larger pan or a sturdy jelly—roll pan.
• 10 set both in the oven and pour hot water into the larger pan.
• 11 bake for 25—30 minutes.
• 12 let cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then run a sharp knife around the sides to release the cake. cover with plastic wrap and unmold onto a cookie sheet. invert a serving plate over the cake and flip it over, so the plate is on the bottom and the cake on top. (ed. note: i cook longer as i don’t trust the consistency. it’s very “softâ€?).
• 13 ganache:.
• 14 scald the cream.
• 15 add the chocolate off the heat, and stir very gently until smooth.
• 16 cool slightly and pour over cake.