Gâteau au chocolat fondant de Nathalie

If you read my last post, White Chocolate Truffle Cake, you know it was a huge fail. I was determined to make a another cake that wouldn't die in the fridge. I found this recipe in the book A Homemade Life, which was a great book by the way. After each chapter she has a recipe, this was one. In her book she says the cake tastes even better the next day, and i totally agree. Don't get me wrong, it tasted great out of the oven, but the next morning (yes i had a slice for breakfast) it was amazing. The cake is very rich, but it also reminds me of a brownie, just not as dry. I made some homemade whipped cream to top the cake, which of course is optional.

Gâteau au chocolat fondant de Nathalie
or, Kate's Winning-Hearts-and-Minds cake
adapted from Je Veux du chocolat!, by Trish Deseine

• 7 oz best quality dark chocolate
• 7 oz unsalted European-style butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes, the brand i used was Lurpak
• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 8 inch round cake pan, i used a springform pan so i could easily get the cake out. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and butter that. Finely chop the chocolate, a serrated  knife made this a little easier, and melt the chocolate gently with the butter in a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring regularly to combine. Add the sugar to the chocolate-butter mixture, stirring well, and set aside to cool for a few moments. Add eggs one at a time, stirring well after each one. Then add flour. The batter should be smooth, dark and gorgeous. Pour the batter into your buttered cake an and bake for 25 min, or until the center of the cake looks set and top is shiny and a bit crackly-looking. At 20 min i checked on it every 2 min. You'll know its done when it jiggles only slightly, if at all. Let cake cool in its pa.n for 10 min, then carefully turn the cake upside down and flip it top side, so that the crackly side is facing upward.

Whipped cream

• 2 tablespoon of sugar
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream

Place a metal bowl in the freezer for 10 min. Pour heavy whipping cream and sugar into bowl, and whisk until stiff peaks are formed.