Flourless Chocolate Cake

This recipe is adapted from Daisy Martinez. She originally steeps her brown sugar syrup with 3 cinnamon sticks and adds 1/2 t. of cayenne pepper to the batter. I omitted these items because I live in a house of chocolate purists. The result is a dense, fuggy, chocolaty overload...if there is such a thing.

Ingredients

• 1 cup espresso
• 1 packed cup dark brown sugar
• 3 sticks (12 ounces) butter, cubed
• 12 ounces semisweet or milk chocolate
• 4 ounces unsweetened or bittersweet chocolate
• 8 large eggs, beaten

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Prepare a 9-inch spring form pan: Cut a circle of parchment the size of the removable bottom of the pan. Fit the parchment circle into the bottom of the pan. Tear off an 18-inch length of aluminum foil. Center the pan over the sheet of foil and crumple and crimp the foil all around the sides of the pan. (The foil will prevent water from seeping into the pan during baking.) Set the pan aside.

In a medium saucepan, bring the espresso and brown sugar to a simmer over very low heat. Simmer about 20 minutes. Stir in the butter until melted. Set aside.

Pulse the chocolate in the food processor until coarsely chopped. Transfer to a deep bowl. Pour in the warm coffee syrup and whisk until the chocolate is completely melted. Whisk in the beaten eggs in thirds until completely blended.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Set the pan in a large, deep, oven-proof skillet or a roasting pan and set on the oven rack. Pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the pan. Bake until center is set and barely wiggles when you shake the pan gently, 50 to 60 minutes.

Cool the cake to room temperature. Remove the foil and chill the cake in the pan at least 8 hours. Run a wet knife around the sides of the pan then pop the spring to release. Place a platter on top of the cake and flip over. Remove the bottom of the pan, and peel off the parchment. This cake is good served with Trader Joe's Coffee ice cream.

Serves: 12 generous or 16 smaller servings