Categories: cakes

Ingredients

• 10 oz bittersweet chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)
• 1 cup white sugar
• 6 eggs, large, at room temperature and separated
• 1/2 cup butter, unsalted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp instant espresso powder, or high quality instant coffee
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3.5 oz nuts (such as walnuts, hazelnuts, or almonds), lightly toasted & finely ground (optional)
• a couple glugs of your favorite booze (such as whiskey, brandy, rum or liqueur - also optional)
• 1 cup whipped cream
• 2-3 tablespoons liqueur (the same as you used in the cake OR Marsala, Cointreau or Kahlua)
• sugar to sweeten

Directions

1. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan.

2. Preheat oven to 350F.

3. Melt chocolate, instant coffee, and butter together in microwave.

4. Stir in the vanilla.

5. Beat half the sugar and the egg yolks together until pale and thick. Beat in warm chocolate mixture, ground toasted nuts and booze, if using. (This mixture often separates on me, but all will be well again once you start folding in the egg whites.)

6. Beat egg whites and salt and the remaining sugar with clean beaters until stiff but not dry (soft peak stage).

7. Stir one-quarter into the chocolate to lighten it, then gently fold in the remainder just until no white streaks remain.

8. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until slightly puffed in the center and no longer jiggly.

9. Remove from oven, cool completely in the pan, and serve chilled or at room temperature with the cream, which you should softly whip with the sugar and your choice of flavors.

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