Let that flame burn

Since we cannot let sween be without his lovey wife, and as it only seems right that he can have his cake (meaning his wife) and eat it (meaning his cake) too, I bring him (and you)

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

This recipe was given to me by my sister and copied out almost verbatim here. So, without further ado...

have all ingredients at room temperature before starting

preheat oven to 325F

grease an 8" round cake pan (NOT a springform it will leak) and line with a wax or parchment paper circle on the bottom. (pan should be deep-ish 1 1/2 to 2" deep)

In a large heatproof bowl, combine:

1 lb. semi or bittersweet chocolate (the cake will only be as good as the chocolate so don't use bakers chocolate or chips - I used one of those big gold bars of president's choice bittersweet - it's 1 lb, yummy, and is only about 5 bucks)

10 tbsp (1 1/4 sticks) butter, cut up

Set the bowl in a large skillet of barely simmering water and stir often until the chocolate and butter are warm, melted and smooth. (I hate doing it this way (although it's the proper way) and I think the boiling water risks getting a drop of water in the chocolate which, FYI, is what makes it 'seize up' when it gets all dry and thick and grainy, if you have ever experienced that - it's a chemistry thing you can read up if you want. The idea is it has to melt very slowly and not get above a certain temperature, so if you just melt the chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan with the heat on very low and stirring often, you will be fine)

Remove melted chocolate from heat and whisk in:

5 large egg yolks

Set aside. In another large bowl, beat on medium speed (or whisk if you're feeling up to it) until soft peaks form:

5 large egg whites

1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

Gradually add, while beating:

1 tbsp sugar

Beat until the peaks are stiff but not dry. Use a rubber spatula to fold 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, then fold in the remaining whites. Keep folding gently until there are no more streaks of egg whites. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Set pan in a large shallow baking dish or roasting pan (you can get a disposable one if you ain't got) set the dish in the oven, and pour enough boiling water into it to reach halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake for exactly 30 minutes; the top of the cake will have a thin crust and the interior will still be gooey. Set the cake pan on a rack to cool completely, then refrigerate still in the pan until chilled or overnight (remember it tastes better the next day). To unmold, dip the cake pan in a pan of boiling water or hold over a stove element just till the cake can be inverted onto a plate (you may want to run thin knife around the cake to help detach it from the pan). Peel of the paper. The recipe says flip it over again, but I think the bottom makes a nicer top cause it's smooth. Make a doiley, etc. and sprinkle icing sugar through a sieve just before serving (if any 'sweat' has formed on the cake as it warms up, just press a paper towel to absorb it before sprinkling the sugar).

Serve with coulis and whipped cream.

COULIS:

Put in a blender or food processor:

1 pint strawberries or raspberries (or 12 oz frozen dry-packed berries, thawed)

3 tbsp sugar

1 - 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Puree until smooth then strain through a fine meshed sieve with a spoon. Taste and add in more sugar or lemon if needed. Can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.