Flourless Chocolate Cake

I made this at the end of September, 2013. It was served Friday night and Saturday night....this cake has an AMAZING flavor! Not too rich, but extremely decadent. Read more here:


Note: I used Ghirardelli chocolate chips: one bag semisweet and 1/2 a bag of bittersweet.

Ingredients:

• 8 large eggs, cold
• 1 lb. semisweet (or bittersweet) chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 16 Tbsp. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 16 pieces
• optional toppings: powdered sugar and/or berries

Directions:

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Line the bottom of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper or waxed paper and grease the sides of the pan. (Be sure to grease the sides really well!) Wrap the outside of the pan with 2 sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil and set it in a large roasting pan. Bring a kettle or pot of water to boil.
2. In a stand mixer using the whisk attachment, beat the eggs at high speed until the volume doubles (about 5 minutes).
3. Meanwhile, melt the chocolate and butter together in the microwave (by heating the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl at 50% power for 2 minutes, then stirring, the adding the butter, and continuing to heat at 50% power and stir in 1-minute intervals until the mixture is well-melted and smooth).
4. Then fold about a third of the beaten eggs into the chocolate mixture using a large rubber spatula until only a few streaks of egg are visible. Fold in half of the remaining egg foam, and then the last half of the foam, until the mixture is totally homogenous. This takes quite a while!
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth the surface with a rubber spatula. Place the roasting pan on the oven rack and pour in enough boiling water to come about halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake until the cake has risen slightly, the edges are just beginning to set, a thin-glazed crust (like a brownie) has formed on the surface, and an instant-read thermometer inserted halfway into the center reads 140° F, 22-25 minutes.
6. Remove the springform pan from the water bath and set on a wire rack; cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight to mellow and firm. (The cake can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.)
7. About 30 minutes prior to serving, carefully remove the sides of the springform pan, invert the cake onto a sheet of waxed paper, peel off the parchment paper, and reinvert the cake onto a serving platter. If desired, lightly dust the cake with powdered sugar and top with berries. To slice, use a sharp, thin-bladed knife, dipping the knife into a pitcher of hot water and wiping the blade before each cut.