Chocolate Cloud Cake
- 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, minimum 70 percent cocoa solids
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 6 eggs, 2 whole, 4 separated
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons orange-flavored liqueur, optional (recommended: Cointreau)
- 1 orange, zested
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon orange-flavored liqueur, optional (recommended: Cointreau)
- 1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder, for sprinkling
- Special equipment: 9-inch springform pan
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of the cake pan with baking parchment.
- Melt the chocolate either in a double boiler or a microwave, add the butter and let melt in the warm chocolate.
- Beat the 2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks with 1/3 cup of the sugar, then gently add the chocolate mixture, the orange-flavored liqueur and the orange zest.
- In another bowl, whisk the 4 egg whites until foamy, then gradually add the remaining sugar and whisk until the whites hold their shape but are not too stiff.
- Lighten the chocolate mixture with a dollop of egg whites, and then fold in the rest of the whites.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until the cake is risen and cracked and the center is no long wobbly.
- Cool the cake in its pan on a wire rack; the middle will sink as it cools.
- When you are ready to eat, place the still pan-bound cake on a cake stand or plate for serving and carefully remove the sides of the pan from the cake.
- Don't worry about cracks or rough edges, it's the crater look we're going for here.
- Whip the cream until it's soft and then add the vanilla and orange-flavored liqueur and continue whisking until the cream is firm but not stiff.
- Fill the crater of the cake with the whipped cream, easing it out gently towards the edges of the cake, and dust the top lightly with cocoa powder pushed through a tea-strainer.
bittersweet chocolate, unsalted butter, eggs, sugar, orangeflavored liqueur, orange, heavy cream, vanilla, orangeflavored liqueur, cocoa
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/nigella-lawson/chocolate-cloud-cake-recipe.html (may not work)