French Chocolate Cake
Submitted by: Michelle Chen
" This is typical of a French homemade cake - dense, dark, and
delicious. The texture is very different from a sponge cake, and it is
excellent
dusted with confectioners' sugar and served with whipped cream. "
Ingredients
1/2 cup white sugar
10 (1 ounce) squares semi-sweet chocolate
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 eggs, separated
1/4 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1 dash cream of tartar
salt to taste
Directions
1 Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
Generously grease a 9 1/2 inch springform cake tin. Dust with a little
sugar, and tap
out the excess.
2 Set aside 3 tablespoons of the sugar. Place the
chocolate, butter, and remaining sugar in a large, heavy-based pan. Cook
over moderate
heat until the chocolate and butter have melted, and the sugar has
dissolved. Remove the pan from heat. Stir in vanilla, and leave the mixture
to cool
slightly.
3 Beat the egg yolks into the chocolate mixture one at a
time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the flour.
4 In a large bowl, scrupulously clean and grease free, beat
the egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt, and beat to stiff
peaks.
Sprinkle reserved sugar over egg whites, and beat until stiff and glossy.
Beat 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then carefully fold
in
the remaining whites. Carefully pour batter into the prepared tin, and tap
the tin gently to release air bubbles.
5 Bake for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until well risen and
a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. If the cake
appears
to rise unevenly, rotate after 30 to 35 minutes. If the cake starts to
crack or become too brown, place a piece of foil lightly over the top.
Transfer
the cake to a wire cooling rack, and remove the sides of the springform
tin. Cool completely, and then remove the base. Do not attempt to remove
the cake
before it 's completely cooled as this cake is very fragile.
Makes 1 - 9 inch cake
" Unless we are willing to help a person overcome his faults,
there is little value in pointing them out."
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