Light yet rich, its a showstopper.

No frosting, but with those ingredients, who needs frosting?

It’s like a pound cake, but with dark chocolate.

Bittersweet Chocolate Cake recipe

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

Look these in the baking aisle and choose chocolate with a 60% to 85% cacao content.

Some brands we recommend are Guittard, Ghirardelli’s and Scharffen Berger.

We don’t recommend using chocolate chips for this recipe.

Bittersweet Chocolate Cake with sprinkle of powdered sugar

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

Prepare a rack in the center of the oven.

Place a baking sheet in a rack below it (to catch any drippings or spill-overs).

Generously butter the sides and bottom of a 9-inch or 10-inch springform pan.

slice of Bittersweet Chocolate Cake

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

Tap out the excess sugar.

verify that the bottom of the metal bowl is not touching the water below.

Place chocolate and 4 tablespoons of water together in the top metal bowl of the double boiler.

egg yolks being beaten with sugar

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

Slowly melt the chocolate over barely simmering water, whisking it until smooth.

Whisk in a pinch of salt.

Let cool until just warm to the touch.

chocolate melting in a double boiler

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

Slowly fold the warm chocolate into the egg mixture, gently stirring while you add the chocolate.

Stir in the softened butter.

Stir in the grated orange peel.

whisking melted chocolate in double boiler

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

Stir in the sifted flour.

Mix thoroughly but gently.

Beat the egg whites until stiff.

mixing chocolate and egg mixture for bittersweet chocolate cake batter

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

(See this wonderful explanation ofwhisking egg whitestaken fromLa Bonne Cuisine de Madame Sant-Ange.)

Stir one third of the beaten egg whites in to the chocolate egg mixture to thin it.

Be careful at this stage not to over-mix.

mixing softened butter into bittersweet chocolate cake batter

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

Pour the batter into your prepared springform pan.

The batter will come close to the top of the pan.

Simple Tip!

mixing orange zest into bittersweet chocolate cake batter

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

Do not worry if the top of your baked chocolate cake has cracks in it!

As the cake cools, the top will settle and the cracks will close.

Cool on a rack for 15 minutes, then remove the outer rim.

mixing flour into bittersweet chocolate cake batter

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

Allow the cake to cool completely before removing the bottom of the pan.

When ready to serve, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

gently folding beaten egg whites into chocolate cake batter

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

bittersweet chocolate cake batter in a mixing bowl

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

chocolate cake batter added to a springform pan

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

cooling bittersweet chocolate cake from the silver palate cookbook

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer

caked removed from springform pan

Simply Recipes / Elise Bauer