Photo by Karen Hermann
Makes 10–12 servings
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup orange liqueur or orange juice
6 eggs
Powdered sugar or whipped cream for garnish
Preheat oven to 325 F. Line an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper, and butter the sides.
In a small saucepan over medium heat, add sugar and water, and bring to a boil to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat. Immediately add butter and chocolate chips, and let melt for 2 minutes. Whisk in liqueur or juice, then add eggs, one at a time. Do not overmix; that will allow air holes to form in the cake. Pour batter into prepared pan. Place pan inside a roasting pan, and add warm water about a half-inch high.
Bake in the water bath 40–45 minutes. Remove from oven; cool completely in pan on wire rack. Invert onto a serving platter, and garnish with powdered sugar or whipped cream.
_____
Recipe tip
Secrets to success with melting chocolate – When working with chocolate, avoid any and all contact with water.
- Use clean, dry dishes.
- Make sure the bottom of the melting bowl doesn’t touch the water beneath it.
- Be careful, when removing plastic wrap, not to let water condensation fall into the melting chocolate.
- When melting chocolate with butter, make sure the butter is at room temperature and not frozen. Melting chocolate with frozen butter introduces water to the chocolate, and water causes chocolate to seize (clump severely). If that happens, the best you can do is throw away the destroyed chocolateand-butter mixture and start over.
_____
Related story
For chocolate lovers – February offers the perfect excuse for experimenting with decadent chocolate recipes. Whether you’re sharing sweets with your Valentine or just treating yourself, these desserts let you indulge a chocolate passion.