Flourless Chocolate Cake from King Arthur Flour

Cake 1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional 3 large eggs 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch-process cocoa preferred Glaze 1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips 1/2 cup heavy cream Directions 1) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease an 8" round cake pan; cut a piece of parchment or waxed paper to fit, grease it, and lay it in the bottom of the pan. 2) To make the cake: Put the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the butter is melted and the chips are soft. Stir until the chips melt, reheating briefly if necessary. You can also do this over a burner set at very low heat. Transfer the melted chocolate/butter to a mixing bowl. 3) Stir in the sugar, salt and vanilla.  4) Add the eggs, beating briefly until smooth. Add the cocoa powder, and mix just to combine. 5) Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. 6) Bake the cake for 25 minutes; the top will have formed a thin crust, and it should register at least 200°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into its center. 7) Remove it from the oven, and cool it in the pan for 5 minutes. 8) Loosen the edges of the pan with a table knife or nylon spreader, and turn it out onto a serving plate. The top will now be on the bottom; that's fine. Also, the edges will crumble a bit, which is also fine. Allow the cake to cool completely before glazing. 9) To make the glaze: Combine the chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the cream is very hot, but not simmering. Remove from the microwave, and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is completely smooth. 10) Spoon the glaze over the cake, spreading it to drip over the sides a bit. Allow the glaze to set for several hours before serving the cake. Yield: 8" cake, 8 to 12 servings. Recipe summary Hands-on time: 15 mins. to 20 mins. Baking time: 23 mins. to 27 mins. Total time: 1 hrs 38 mins. to 1 hrs 47 mins. Yield: 8 to 12 servings Tips from our bakers If desired, garnish cake with 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted in a 350°F oven until golden brown, about 10 minutes. For cleanest slicing, use a sharp knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry. Repeat dipping knife in hot water and wiping dry for each slice. Source: http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/flourless-chocolate-cake-recipe Notes: We loved this cake.  It is very rich.  You can up the richness or tone it down based on the chocolate and cocoa you use.  I love dark chocolate and I used regular chocolate chips in the cake and dark chocolate chips in the "glaze" (it is really a ganache) I also used half regular Hershey's cocoa and half Special Dark cocoa.  It really was super easy and ends up looking fancy. I also did not use almonds for garnish, we did fresh strawberries.