Oh, chocolate. We love you, chocolate. We love you when we are PMS, we love you at weddings, we love you during parties. And this week, we loved you during women’s group on Wednesday.

My Wacky Friend got this from America’s Test Kitchen, and I got it from her, for you. She says: “It kind of looks complicated, but it was really easy and my son helped me quite a bit, so I recommend it as a ‘Martha Stewart’ activity with the kiddos!”

Flourless Chocolate Cake

8 large eggs, cold
1 pound bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
½ pound unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into ½-inch chunks
¼ C strong coffee* or coffee liqueur (optional)
Confectioners’ sugar or cocoa powder for decoration

1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle rack and heat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Line bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment and grease pan sides. Cover pan underneath and along sides with heavy-duty foil and set in a large roasting pan.

3. Bring kettle of water to a boil.

4. Beat eggs with a hand-held mixer at high speed until volume doubles to approximately 1 quart, about 5+ minutes. (By setting the hand held mixer on a pile of books, you can avoid having to hold the mixer for five minutes while you beat the eggs to a froth. Alternately, you can have your child hold the mixer, thus involving them in a fun activity and keeping them out of other things for 5 minutes.) :-)

5. Meanwhile, melt chocolate and butter (and coffee or liqueur, if using) in a large heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water until smooth and very warm (about 115 degrees), stirring once or twice. (For the microwave, melt chocolate and butter together at 50 percent power until smooth and warm, 4-6 minutes, stirring once or twice.)

6. Fold 1/3 of egg foam into chocolate mixture using a large rubber spatula until only a few streaks of egg are visible; fold in ½
remaining foam, then the last of the foam, until the mixture is completely mixed.

7. Scrape the batter into prepared springform pan and smooth surface with a rubber spatula. (Thoroughly lick spatula and bowl – also a great activity for salmonella-immune children.)

8. Set roasting pan on oven rack and pour enough boiling water to come about halfway up the side of the spring form pan.

9. Bake until cake has risen slightly, edges are just beginning to set, and a thin glazed crust has formed on the surface (an instant-read thermometer inserted in the center will read 140 degrees), about 22-25 minutes. (If using a 9-inch pan, rather than 8-inch, the baking time will be 18-20 minutes.)

10. Remove the cake pan from water bath and set on a wire rack; cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight to mellow (up to 4 days).

11. About 30 minutes prior to serving, remove from springform pan sides, invert cake on a plate covered with waxed paper, peel off the parchment pan liner, and turn cake right side up on a serving platter.

12. Sieve light sprinkling of confectioners’ sugar or cocoa powder over the cake to decorate, if desired.

Bon Appetit!

WM