Chocolate Cloud Cake

It doesn’t matter what you have served for dinner when you bring out this “beauty” for dessert.  The dinner may have been rabbit with buckshot, turkey with no potatoes and gravy or a cog au vin that was just crusted chicken (don’t tell me something like that has not happened to you).  So you order Chinese Food’  or a couple of pizzas to cover all your mistakes, but dessert is still yours and all of those mistakes magically disappear.

Chocolate Cloud Cake

Ingredients

• 8 oz. (best quality) Bittersweet or Semi-Sweet Chocolate (roughly chopped)
• 1/2 C. Unsalted Butter (softened and cut into pieces)
• 6 Lg. Eggs (2 whole; 4 separated
• 1 C. Sugar
• 2 T. Cognac or Grand Marnier (optional)
• Grated Zest of 1 Orange (optional)
• 1 1/2 C. Heavy Cream (chilled)
• 3 T. Confectioners’ Sugar
• 1 t. Vanilla Extract
• Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Preparations

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees; Line and 8″ springform pan with a round of wax paper (do not butter pan or paper)
2. Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over (not touching) gently simmering water; remove bowl from the heat and whisk in the butter until it is melted and set aside
3. In another bowl whisk the 2 whole eggs with the 4 egg yolks and 1/2 C. of sugar until blended; slowly whisk in the warm chocolate mixture; whisk in the Grand Marnier or Cognac, and orange zest (if using)
4. In another bowl beat (with an elec. mixer) the 4 egg whites until foamy; gradually add the remaining 1/2 C. sugar and beat until the whites form soft peaks that hold their shape but are not quite stiff
5. Gently fold about 1/4 of the beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture; gently fold in the remaining whites
6. Pour batter into the pan and smooth the top
7. Bake the cake until the top is puffed and cracked; center will no longer be wobbly (35-40 minutes) Do not over bake
8. Remove cake from oven and cool on a wire rack; center of cake will sink as it cools (forming a crater)
9. Just prior to serving whip the cream with the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until not quite stiff; carefull fill the sunken center of cake with he whipped cream and gently push the cream to the edges of the cake; sprinkle the top with the cocoa powder
10. Carefully remove the side of the pan and serve

Serves 8-12

Recipe from “Classic Home Desserts” by Richard Sax

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