Decadent Flourless Chocolate Cake from Pampered Chef

I really need to stop buying cookbooks that involve amazing dessert recipes. Really. It's becoming an addiction.

A couple months ago, I acquired a Pampered Chef recipe book that's nothing but chocolate. In fact, it's actually called Chocolate. And it has an unbelievable recipe for a flourless chocolate cake that was described by several people as "eating chocolate frosting," or just "OMG!"

For finishing you can add chopped pistachios around the outside edge and chocolate curls to the top. But I didn't. It was still awesome.

I really splurged a bit on the chocolate for this one.

Start by melting 12 ounces of good bittersweet chocolate and 3/4 cup of butter. Do it in 30-second intervals, stirring between, until the chocolate is mostly melted. You don't want to over do it, or it'll burn.

Next, mix 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder with 3 tablespoons of hot water and a teaspoon of vanilla.

Separate five eggs, placing the yolks in your large mixer bowl. Beat them together with a cup of sugar - I've been using Zulka pure cane morena sugar lately, because it's GMO free - on medium high until doubled in volume. Pour in the melted chocolate and beat until well blended. Add the cocoa mixture, mix on medium low until just blended.

With clean beaters, or the wire whisk attachment if you have one, beat the 5 egg whites and 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar on high until soft peaks form.

Fold the egg whites into the chocolate batter, half at a time, until just blended.

Prepare your springform pan by spraying with nonstick cooking spray, or even more effective, Wilton Bake Easy spray. Pour the batter into the pan and spread to the edges. Bake on 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until the center looks almost set when you gently shake the pan. Cool completely.

Once the cake has cooled, use wax paper and gently press down on the edges of the cake to help make a flatter surface. Loosen the edges and release the pan. Transfer the cake to a wire rack set in a cookie sheet.

Now to make the glaze.

Melt 4 ounces of good semi-sweet chocolate with 5 tablespoons of butter, again in 30 second intervals. Stir in 2 teaspoons of light corn syrup.

Pour the glaze over the cake and spread evenly to coat the top and the sides. Place the cake in the refrigerator until the glaze is set, about an hour.

If you're going to garnish the sides with pistachios, you'd want to do so before refrigerating the cake.

The recipe says you can get eighteen servings. And you really do want to make sure you cut small pieces!