Flourless Chocolate Cake

This rich chocolate cake is somewhere between and cake and a brownie.  It's easy to make, delicious to eat, and holds up well.  I would make this a day or two in advance, but save the whipped cream until the day of.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 3 Tbsp. butter, softened
• 3 large eggs, separated
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 cup cream, cold
• powdered sugar, for dusting

Serves 4 - 6
Cook time: 25 minutes

Preheat oven to 350.  Butter a 6 or 7-inch spring form pan.
Melt chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl 30 seconds at a time, stirring after each 30 second increment, until they are melted; stir together.  Meanwhile, beat egg yolks with sugar until incorporated and lightened in color (should be pale yellow).  Mix a little of the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture to temper the eggs; then whisk in the remainder of the chocolate mixture.  Set aside.
Whisk egg whites in mixer until stiff peaks form.  Fold whites into chocolate mixture - fold, do not whisk them together.  Pour into prepared spring form pan and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it (you're looking for it to be a little undercooked than a traditional cake).
Let stand for about 10 minutes and remove the sides of pan; gently insert a very thin spatula under cake and remove from bottom pan.  Allow cake to cool for a few minutes before dusting it with powdered sugar.
Whip cream until light and fluffy (you can add a little powdered sugar to the cream, but not too much - the cake is already very rich).  
Serve cake slightly warm or at room temperature with whipped cream.