Flourless Chocolate Cloud Cake

By Leite's Culinaria

Ingredients

8 ounces best-quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate (coarsely chopped)
1 stick unsalted butter (cut into pieces, room temperature)
6 large eggs (2 whole, 4 separated)
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Cointreau, Grand Marnier, or Cognac ((optional))
Grated zest of 1 orange (preferably organic)
Pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (chilled)
3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Unsweetened cocoa powder (for sprinkling)
Chocolate curls (for sprinkling)

Prep Time40mins
Cook Time35mins
Servings8

Instructions

Make the cake

Crank the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with a round of parchment. TESTER TIP: Do NOT butter the sides of the pan or the paper; that's a definite no-no. The cake won't creep up the pan.

Melt the chocolate in a bowl set over but not touching gently simmering water.

Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk in the butter until it's melted and utterly silky.

In another bowl, whisk the 2 whole eggs and the 4 egg yolks with 1/2 cup of the sugar until foamy.

Slowly whisk in the warm chocolate mixture. Whisk in the Cointreau, orange zest, and salt.

In a separate bowl, beat the 4 egg whites with an electric mixer until foamy.

Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and beat until the whites form soft peaks that hold their shape.

Gently fold 1/4 of the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then carefully fold in the remaining whites.

Pour the batter into the pan and smooth the top of the cake.

Bake the cake until the top is puffed and cracked and the center is no longer wobbly, 35 to 40 minutes. Be careful not to overbake the cake.

Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack. The center of the cake will sink as it cools, forming a sort of crater. Run the tip of a knife around the edge of the cake and carefully remove the side of the pan.

Put the finishing touches on the cake

When ready to serve, whip the cream with the confectioners' sugar and vanilla until softly mounding. Fill the sunken center of the cake, pushing the billowy cream to the edges of the cake in decorative swoops and swirls. Sprinkle the top lightly with cocoa powder and chocolate curls.