The Chocoholic's Cake

The flourless chocolate souffle' cake is the chocolate lover's dream. Unlike the "death by chocolate" cake, this dessert isn't sickenly sweet, and the emphasis is on intense dark chocolate flavor. I've seen several different versions of the flourless chocolate cake, but the recipe that follows is my favorite. It was given to me by my niece, Ashley, who is a pastry chef, and shares my love of dark, dark chocolate. This is a perfect dessert for Valentine's Day!

Flourless Chocolate Cake

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, sliced
2 tbsp. vanilla
6 large eggs, divided
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. granulated sugar

Glaze:
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. honey

1. In a double boiler, melt 8 oz. chocolate. Add butter and stir until completely melted. Cool. Stir in vanilla.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar.

3. In a third bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 2 tbsp. of sugar, and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.

4. Add chocolate mixture to egg yolk mixture. Stir well.

5. Fold in egg whites to chocolate and egg yolk mixture, 1/3 at a time. Be careful not to overmix or deflate egg whites.

6. Pour batter into a greased springform pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes. Cool in pan for about 30 minutes before removing it.

7. To make the glaze, heat the heavy cream in a large saucepan until bubbles form around the edges. Add honey. Remove from heat. Add 4 oz. of chocolate and stir until completely melted. Pour over cooled cake.