This cake ALWAYS gets raves!  Sinfully chocolaty and rich beyond belief

1          lb         Chiammaya custom crafted chocolate, American blend, finely chopped
1          c          minus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
2          T          sugar
1/2       c          espresso or strong coffee
6                      eggs

1/2       c          sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter or spray a 9-inch round pan with vegetable spray. Line bottom with parchment paper - this is important or the cake WILL stick. Have a larger pan ready to serve as a water bath.

Melt the chocolate gently over hot water or in the microwave - 1 minute on 50% power, stir then 30 seconds at 50% stir again. There will be some chunks near the end, keep stirring and the will melt. Resist the temptation to microwave it too long or it will lock up on you and you'll have to start over! Keep warm.

Whip the cream with 2 T of sugar until the mixture forms soft peaks. Set aside.

Whip eggs on high speed in a stand mixer until double in volume. This will take some time, the more you whip it, the better, your patience will be rewarded. Gradually add the 1/2 cup sugar to the eggs, 1 T at a time. Continue whipping until the eggs have tripled in volume. They should have some body.

Pour the coffee into the chocolate and stir until combined. Fold the eggs into the chocolate in three additions. Fold in cream.

Pour the batter into the round pan. Place it in the larger pan. Fill the outer pan with hot water so that it reaches halfway up the side of the cake pan.

Bake for 40-50 minutes. The cake will still jiggle in the center when gently shaken, but you don't want it runny. Cool COMPLETELY on a rack. To unmold, slide small knife around the edges of the cake to loosen from pan. Cover the top of the pan with a Cardboard circle. Invert pan and cardboard together. Remove cake pan and parchment. Place the cake and cardboard circle in a wire rack over a sheet pan and let cool completely.

Chocolate Glaze

8          oz        good quality semi-sweet chocolate
1/4       c          heavy cream
3          T          butter - I prefer salted ( chocolate and salt really do go well together )

Heat the chocolate, cream, and butter in the top of a double boiler or in the microwave using the technique above. Stir gently until the mixture is completely melted and smooth. Let cool a bit. You want it still pourable, but slightly thick so it will stay on the cake.

Pour over the cooled cake, making sure the top and sides are completely covered.

There will be a lot of chocolate that will fall onto the sheet pan below, that's the cooks treat!

This may be reheated to soften.

Sprinkle with cocoa nibs to add some visual interest and another texture dimension.

This cake is sticky; I find that slicing it with a long piece of waxed dental floss the best. Hold the floss tight and press down through the cake. Then release one end of the floss and pull through the cake. Repeat until the entire cake is sliced.

Makes 14-16 servings. I THINK this will last about 4 days unrefrigerated if you can keep it around that long!