Intense Chocolate Mousse Cake
Recipe from Nigella Lawson NYTimescooking.com
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Yield: One 9-inch cake
For the cake:
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate
9 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 large eggs, room temperature and separated
pinch of kosher salt
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons brandy
For serving:
1 teaspoon confectioners’ sugar
Heat oven to 350˚F. Position the oven rack in the lower-center of the oven. Cover the outside of a 9-inch springform pan with a double layer of foil. Using a microwave oven or double boiler, melt together chocolate and butter; set aside to cool slightly.
In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks and ½ cup sugar until pale, frothy and increased in volume. Whisk in brandy, then fold in chocolate mixture. Place a kettle of water over heat, and bring it to a boil. Using an electric mixer, whisk egg whites and salt until thick. Add remaining ¼ cup sugar, and continue to whisk until stiff and shiny but not dry.
Fold about ½ cup whisked egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Gently fold in remaining whites, being careful not to let the mixture deflate. Pour mixture into lightly-buttered springform pan, and place pan in a roasting pan. Add boiling water to roasting pan to come halfway up side of springform pan. Bake for 45 minutes; top of cake will be hard and inside will be gooey.
Remove cake pan from water, and place on a rack to cool completely. Unwrap foil and remove side of the springform pan. Place cake on a serving platter. Just before serving, dust top with confectioners’ sugar passed through a sieve.