Chocolate Truffle Cake

I clearly have a chocolate thing. Let it be known that I do not enjoy lots of sweet things like candy, sugar, jelly beans, pixie sticks, etc., but I love chocolate. OK, maybe I've not been clear, I love deep, rich, dark, luscious, interesting, soothing, smooth chocolate. I'm glad we cleared that up.

So, for our last meal with Michelle last week, I decided we needed one last amazing dessert, so I pulled out the new book I recently inherited (thanks Jodi/Michelle!) and found this treasure. It was easily in the amazing category. Easily. That's all. It was even more wonderful with a plop of unsweetened barely whipped cream and a sprinkle of raspberries. The raspberries were genius, and exactly what this dark treasure desired.

Chocolate Truffle Cake

The Good Housekeeping Step-by-Step Cookbook

• 1 cup butter
• 14 oz. semisweet chocolate (14-1 oz. squares)
• 2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
• 9 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
• Confectioner's sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 300˚ F. Remove bottom from 9" x 3" springform pan and cover the bottom with foil, wrapping the foil around the underside to make removing the cake easier. [I used parchment in the bottom and it worked fine.] Replace the bottom and grease and flour bottom and sides of pan.

In heavy 2-quart saucepan, melt butter with all chocolate over low heat, stirring frequently. Pour chocolate mixture into large bowl. In a small bowl, with the mixer on high, beat egg yolks and granulated sugar about 5 minutes, until very thick and lemon-colored. With rubber spatula, stir egg-yolk mixture into chocolate mixture until blended.

In another large bowl, with clean beaters, with mixer at high speed, beat egg whites and cream of tartar to soft peaks. With rubber spatula or wire whisk, gently fold beaten egg whites into chocolate mixture, 1/3 at a time. Spread batter evenly in pan. Bake 35 minutes. Do not over bake; cake will firm on chilling. [I would have gone about 5 minutes longer, methinks. I loved the texture, but a little longer cooking would have made it easier to handle and serve.] Cool cake completely in pan on wire rack. Refrigerate overnight in pan. [Due to time constraints, I dared to chill only about 4 hours, and it was great.]

To remove cake from pan, run a hot knife around edge of cake; remove side of pan. Invert cake onto cake plate; unwrap foil on bottom and lift off bottom of pan. Carefully peel foil [parchment] from cake. Let cake stand 1 hour at room temparature before serving. Just before serving, sprinkle confectioner's sugar through a fine sieve. Get fancy with a stencil or doily if you feel the need. Store leftovers in the refrigeration.