This is the third of three in my series on chocolate desserts, and it's one of my favorites. I've played with this recipe enough to have it be in a very good place, simple and easy, quick assembly, great texture and flavor. A restaurant owner at one of my former professional gigs once told me he had a “foolproof” recipe involving chocolate, and proceeded to prove himself wrong in the kitchen one day.  I learned from him the lesson there is no such thing, and we used to joke about not always having a fool around when you needed one. Well, I'm just foolish enough to suggest this recipe is pretty darn close. Make sure you check the serving suggestions at the end, too.

Recipe for One 9” Cake

12 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
12 tb sweet (unsalted) butter
1 cup granulated sugar
6 eggs, separated
½ cup finely ground almonds
a 9” spring form pan, lightly buttered

Put a saucepan with a couple inches of water on the stove and bring to a simmer. Put the chocolate in a stainless steel bowl and place the bowl on the saucepan. Melt the chocolate slowly.

Leave the bowl with the melted chocolate on the stove top, but not on a burner. Empty the saucepan and dry it out. Put the butter and ¾ cup of the sugar in the saucepan and return it to the heat. Cook slowly until the butter melts. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the chocolate.

Whip the egg yolks with the half of the remaining sugar until triple in volume. Gently fold in the chocolate mixture.

In another bowl, whip the egg whites until frothy. Add the remaining sugar and beat until the whites form stiff peaks. Gently fold the whites into the chocolate mixture, using a large spatula and making sure you scoop all the way to the bottom of the bowl with each stroke. When you've finished incorporating the whites into the chocolate, gently fold in the ground almonds.

Bake the cake in a 350° oven for 35-40 minutes. Cool on a rack for 20 minutes before removing the sides of the spring form pan.

    Now, how easy is that? No one has an excuse for not trying this cake. I serve it warm with a scoop of raspberry gelato, although I've also had it with coconut gelato. Orange sherbert would work well, too, but I like the creaminess of the gelato with this cake.

    There you are, three chocolate dessert recipes, each a little out of the ordinary. If you do try them, please let me know how they came out and what you thought. Drop me an email or post a comment and introduce yourself.

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