Serves 14
From The Essence of Chocolate: Recipes for Baking and Cooking with Fine Chocolate by John Scharffenberger and Robert Steinberg (Hyperion, 2006).
This recipe was created for SCHARFFEN BERGER by our friend, and award winning cookbook author, Flo Braker.
Preparation
Adjust rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Sift flour, 1 1/3 cups sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda into a large 3-quart bowl. In another bowl, whisk cocoa and hot water until blended. When cocoa mixture is cool, add the oil and egg yolks and combine until smooth.
With an electric mixer on low speed, whip egg whites until small bubbles appear. Increase speed and add 1 teaspoon of the 2 tablespoons sugar, and whip until soft white peaks form. Maintaining the same speed, add remaining sugar and continue whipping until soft white, not dry peaks form.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the cocoa-egg mixture with a rubber spatula. Mix until smooth.
Scoop half of the meringue on to the cocoa mixture and fold to combine. Fold in remaining meringue until ingredients are combined. Pour into the pan. Bake for 50-55 minutes or until the top is cracked and it springs back slightly when touched. Invert over a long-necked bottle until cake is completely cool. Remove from pan.
