Chocolate Truffle Cake with Cardamom and Espresso

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Put the butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Stir the brown sugar and water together in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over moderate heat. Immediately pour the boiling syrup over the chocolate and butter and stir until they’re completely melted. Mix in the egg yolks one at a time. Add the cardamom and espresso powder.

Butter the bottom and sides of the springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Whisk the egg whites with the salt until soft peaks form. Gently fold about a third of the beaten egg whites into the melted chocolate. Fold in the remaining whites.

Pour 2/3 of the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 40-45 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean. Allow cake to cool completely.

Flatten the top of the cake with the back of a spoon. (It’s okay for the crusty bits to break.) Pour the remaining batter on top and smooth the surface again. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a few moist crumbs remain on the toothpick.

Remove the cake from the pan when it’s completely cool and dust with cocoa powder.