Chocolate Cloud Cake

Chocolate Cloud Cake

Delicious, chocolate-y cake! :)

Make a water bath with a large pan and about 1/2" of water in it.  Place in oven, and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter a 9-inch spring-form pan.

Place a circle of parchment paper onto the bottom of the pan.

Butter the top of the parchment paper.

Cover the bottom and sides of the spring-form pan with heavy foil.

Finely chop the chocolate.

Place the coffee and 1 cup of sugar in a medium saucepan and heat on high heat until all the sugar is dissolved.

Turn to low heat and add the chocolate.  Stir until smooth.

Add the cocoa powder and the salt and mix and whisk together, off of the heat.

Add the egg yolks and whisk well.

Add to large bowl, and then whisk in the flour.

Whisk the egg whites and the cream of tarter in a mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.

Increase speed to high and slowly add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, keeping the mixer going on high speed, until stiff peaks form.

Mix in the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, adding the egg whites in small portions.  There's no need to fold them in.

Pour into the spring-form pan and smooth the top.

Bake for about 35 minutes, until the center comes out with only a few crumbs with a toothpick.

Chop up the chocolate for the glaze; tip: don't bother chopping with the pre-cut lines on the bar-- just push down the bottom edge of the knife, near the handle, at random parts of the chocolate.

Place in bowl.

Heat the heavy cream in a medium saucepan.  Once boiling, add the honey.

Whisk until smooth.

Add the cream to the chocolate, let sit for 30 seconds to melt, then stir to melt the rest of the chocolate.

Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, to thicken.

Once cake is done, set on a cooling rack, out of the water bath.

Let cool to room temperature, then invert onto a cake plate.

Chill the cake in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Once ready, pour all of the glaze onto the cake, then spread it all over the cake.

Clean up the bottom of the cake pan with a wet wash cloth.

Beautiful! :)

Chocolate Cloud Cake

Cooking time: 35 minutes
Prep time: 2 hour
Total time: 2 hours, 35 minutes
Servings: 12 (1/12 of cake)

Nutrition info per serving (1/16 of cake):
Calories: 255 calories
Fat: 9 g
Sodium: 84 mg
Carbs: 37 g
Fiber: 3 g
Protein: 3 g

Ingredients:
7 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
3/4 cup fresh brewed coffee
1 1/3 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large egg yolks
1/3 cup cake flour
6 large egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tarter
Glaze:
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons honey
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

Directions:
1.  Create a water bath by placing 1/2" of water on the bottom of a large pan.  Place in oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2.  Butter a 9-inch spring-form pan and place a circle of parchment paper on the bottom of the pan.  Butter the top of the circle.
3.   Place a large piece of heavy foil over the bottom and sides of the spring-form pan.
4.  Melt the coffee and 1 cup sugar in a medium saucepan on high heat.  Once sugar dissolves, take off heat, add the chopped chocolate, then place on low heat until all chocolate is melted.  Take off heat again and whisk in the cocoa powder and the salt.  Whisk in the egg yolks next, until they disappear in the mixture.  Place mixture into a large bowl and whisk in the flour.  Set aside.
5.  Whisk the cream of tarter and the egg whites together in the mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form.
6.  Increase speed to high, then add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, slowly, as the speed is up, until stiff peaks form.
7.  Slowly add the egg whites to the chocolate mixture in portions.  There's no need to fold the egg whites into the mixture.
8.  Pour mixture into the spring-form pan, smoothing out the top.  Place in water bath and bake for 35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out only with a few crumbs from the center of the cake.
9.  Once cake is done, let cool out of the water bath, on a cooling rack, until it reaches room temperature, then chill in refrigerator for 2 hours.
10.  For the glaze:  heat the heavy cream in a medium saucepan until boiling, then whisk in the honey.  Whisk until smooth.
11.  Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate, letting the chocolate melt for 30 seconds, then stirring until smooth.  Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes, to thicken.
12.  To glaze cake:  pour the glaze onto the top of the cake, then carefully spread the glaze over the sides of the cake with a butter knife.  Clean the cake plate with a wet wash cloth, if needed.  Done! :)

**Adapted from The Food Network's Bittersweet Chocolate Cloud Cake recipe:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bittersweet-chocolate-cloud-cake-recipe.print.html#  **

Delicious and full of chocolate!  Enjoy! :)