Decadent Flourless Chocolate Cake

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Grease one 10″ round cake pan. You will need a pan larger than your cake pan to make a water bath. You will set the cake pan in it and fill with water halfway up sides of cake pan with boiling water (so boil enough water).

FOR THE CAKE:

In small heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine the water, salt and sugar.

Stir until completely dissolved, then set aside.

Either in the top half of a double boiler or in a microwave oven, melt the bittersweet chocolate.

Pour the chocolate into an electric mixer bowl.

Cut the butter into pieces and beat the butter into the chocolate, 1 piece at a time.

Beat in the hot sugar-water mixture.

Slowly beat in the eggs one at a time.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

Put the cake pan in the larger pan and fill the pan with boiling water halfway up the sides of the cake pan.

Bake cake in the water bath in oven for 45 minutes. The center will still look wet.

Cool cake in pan on rack (cake will fall in center). Best if overnight. Glaze if desired.

To unmold, dip the bottom of the cake pan in hot water for 10 seconds and invert onto a serving plate.

TO MAKE THE GLAZE

Bring cream and corn syrup to simmer in medium saucepan. Remove from heat.

Add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth.

Place cake on cake rack set over baking sheet (this will be messy).

Spread 1/2 cup glaze smoothly over top and sides
of cake.

Put in freezer and freeze until almost set, about 3 minutes.

Pour remaining glaze over cake; smooth sides and top.

Chill until glaze is firm, about 1 hour.

Can be made 1 day ahead.

Cover with cake dome and store at room temperature.

Garnish with chocolate shavings or leaves.