Do not grease the pan here. The cake needs to grab onto the sides to rise properly. As you stir in the first amount of beaten egg whites into the bloomed chocolate mixture, make sure it’s smooth before continuing. Take care not to deflate the egg whites as you fold into the batter. Take care inverting the pan upside down. Don’t set the pan on a wine bottle—my cake fell out that way.

Asian grocers sell nori furikake, a salty, dried seasoning made with seaweed and sesame seeds. If you can’t find it, simply omit. Light soy sauce, not to be confused with reduced-sodium (often labeled “lite”), is thinner and more subtly flavored than dark soy sauce. This mayonnaise dipping sauce goes well with fried foods. Kewpie is a Japanese mayonnaise and yuzu kosho is a hot Japanese paste. Both are available at Amazon.com.