SIMPLE CHOCOLATE CAKE
- 9 ounces (250 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 8 tablespoons (120 g) unsalted butter
- â…“ cup (65 g) sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature, separated
- 2 tablespoons flour
- Pinch of salt
Instructions:
Every Frenchwoman I know loves chocolate so much she has a chocolate cake in her repertoire that she’s committed to memory, one she can make on a moment’s notice.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter a 9-inch (23-cm) loaf pan and line the bottom with a strip of parchment paper.
-  In a large bowl set over a pan of simmering water, heat the chocolate and butter together just until melted and smooth.
- Remove from heat and stir in half the sugar, then the egg yolks, and flour. (You don’t need to measure the half-quantity of sugar exactly. Just pretend you’re a Frenchwoman cooking in her home kitchen and don’t worry about it.)
-  Using an electric mixer or a whisk, begin whipping the egg whites with the salt. Keep whipping until they start to form soft, droopy peaks. Gradually whip in the remaining sugar until the whites are smooth and hold their until the whites are smooth and hold their shape when the whisk is lifted.
-  Use a rubber spatula to fold one-third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites just until the mixture is smooth and no visible white streaks remain.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smooth the top, and bake for 35 minutes, just until the cake feels slightly firm in the center. Do not overbake.
- Let the cake cool in the pan before serving.
- STORAGE: The cake can be stored for up to three days. May sister keeps it in her cabinet, but you may wish to put it under a cake dome. It can also be frozen, well wrapped in plastic, for up to one month.