Mt. Airy Chocolate Souffle Cake

No flour in sight. This chocolate cake gets all its structure from nine separated eggs and a full pound of melted semi-sweet chocolate blended with butter and brandy. The result is something between a dense torte and a fallen soufflé with an intensely fudgy center.

Beating the yolks with sugar until they turn light and lemon-colored is what gives the cake whatever lift it has. Those air-filled yolks lighten the heavy chocolate-butter base just enough to keep it from being a straight-up truffle.

The egg whites, beaten separately with cream of tartar until stiff peaks form, get folded in gently to add structure without deflating. Use wide, sweeping folds from the bottom of the bowl up and over. A few streaks of white are better than a fully mixed but deflated batter.

The parchment collar extending above the rim of the springform pan is essential. The cake rises well above the pan’s edge during baking, and without that collar it would spill over the sides. It settles back down as it cools, which is exactly what’s supposed to happen.

Dipping a knife blade in warm water between slices gives you clean cuts through the dense, fudgy interior.

Pro Tips

• Use high-quality semi-sweet chocolate. With this few ingredients, the chocolate’s flavor is everything
• Add the brandy off heat after melting the chocolate and butter. Alcohol can seize chocolate if added over direct heat
• The center should be just barely set when you pull it from the oven. A slight jiggle is fine since it firms up as it cools
• Serve at room temperature, not cold. Chilling dulls the chocolate flavor and makes the texture too dense

Variations

• Replace brandy with Grand Marnier or Kahlua for an orange or coffee twist
• Top each slice with a dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream and shaved chocolate
• Dust with cocoa powder and serve alongside fresh raspberries for color and tartness