Extreme Chocolate Truffle Cake

This cake starts from a simple equation: chocolate = awesome. It logically follows, then, that chocolate raised to the power of chocolate must be exponentially amazing, right? Even if the math doesn't make sense, this cake does.

Melted chocolate is combine with a huge amount of cocoa power, sugar, butter, and egg whites to create a decadent and borderline hedonistic cake. Serve in small slices with vanilla ice cream

Desserts

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 30 - 40 min
Total: 1 hour 10 min
Yields 1 incredible cake; Serves 12

2 Hours in Advanced
9 ounces (2 sticks + 1 tablespoon) butter
Cut butter into small pieces and put on a plate to warm up to room temperature.
Batter
cooking spray
Grease one cake pan and set aside. Preheat oven to 350°F.
5 fluid ounces (½ cup + 2 tablespoons) water
Bring water to a boil over high heat.
6 ounces (about ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons) sugar
Add sugar to water and stir to dissolve. Remove sugar water from the heat and set aside.
6 egg whites
In a separate bowl, use an electric hand mixer to whip egg whites until foamy, about 30 seconds.
3 ounces (about ½ cup) sugar
With electric hand mixer running on high, slowly pour in sugar a little at a time, allowing it to full incorporate before adding more.
Beat on high until egg whites form soft peaks, about 4 minutes. Set whipped egg whites aside.
8 ounces dark chocolate couverture
OR, if not available substitute:
8 ounces dark chocolate
1 tablespoon butter
Melt the dark chocolate couverture (or chocolate and butter) over a double boiler. Remove from heat and pour into a large bowl.
Let chocolate cool to about 100°F. (Note: Do not allow to cool lower than 88°F as the chocolate will not temper correctly.)
6 ounces (about 2 cups) pure cocoa powder
Add cocoa powder to melted chocolate and stir to combine.
reserved sugar water
Add sugar water to chocolate mixture and stir to combine.
reserved butter
Add the butter, in small pieces, and stir until the batter is smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes.
reserved egg whites
Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Try not to incorporate too much air into the batter as it will make the cake crumbly.
Baking
Pour the batter into a cake pan and bake it at 350°F until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 30-40 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Invert cake pan onto a a plate and place another plate on top of invert cake. Invert again so cake is right side up on a plate. Let cool, about 1 hour.
Cut into small slices and serve with vanilla ice cream.