The BEST chocolate cake ever! [View All]

[KatyaR]

I came across this a while back and finally made it last week and took it to work. It lasted about five minutes and got raves!

(A warning--it is VERY sweet, so a little piece goes a long way. Also, some copies of the recipe allow for 4 eggs instead of 5; I used 5 and it came out just fine. And yes, that's only one tablespoon of flour--trust me, it works.)

I think the overnight refrigeration is totally worth it--the cake comes out like a really rich, moist brownie. You just have to be strong enough not to eat it straight out of the oven!!

Gâteau au chocolat fondant de Nathalie,or, Kate's Winning-Hearts-and-Minds Cake
Adapted from Je veux du chocolat!, by Trish Deseine

7 ounces (200 grams) best-quality dark chocolate
7 ounces (200 grams) unsalted European-style butter (the high-butterfat kind, such as Lurpak or Beurre d’Isigny), cut into ½-inch cubes (NOTE: I used Land O'Lakes unsalted butter with good results)
1 1/3 cup (250 grams) granulated sugar
5 large eggs
1 Tbs unbleached all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit, and butter an 8-inch round cake pan. Line the base of the pan with parchment, and butter the parchment, too.

Finely chop the chocolate (a serrated bread knife does an outstanding job of this) and melt it gently with the butter in a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring regularly to combine. Add the sugar to the chocolate-butter mixture, stirring well, and set aside to cool for a few moments. Then add the eggs one by one, stirring well after each addition, and then add the flour. The batter should be smooth, dark, and utterly gorgeous.

Pour batter into the buttered cake pan and bake for approximately 25 minutes, or until the center of the cake looks set and the top is shiny and a bit crackly-looking. (I usually set the timer for 20 minutes initially, and then I check the cake every two minutes thereafter until it’s done. At 20 minutes, it’s usually quite jiggly in the center. You’ll know it’s done when it jiggles only slightly, if at all.) Let the cake cool in its pan on a rack for 10 minutes; then carefully turn the cake out of the pan and revert it, so that the crackly side is facing upward. Allow to cool completely. The cake will deflate slightly as it cools.

Serve in wedges at room temperature with a loose dollop of ever-so-slightly sweetened whipped cream.

Here's the link where I found the recipe: http://orangette.blogspot.com/2004/08/and-then-cake-came-forth.html

Enjoy!!!