BLACK BEAST

BLACK BEAST

8 oz. unsweetened chocolate
4 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
1/2 c. water
1 1/3 c. sugar
1/2 lb. (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
5 extra large eggs at room temperature

CHOCOLATE GANACHE GLAZE:
1 c. heavy cream
10 oz. bittersweet chocolate, cut into small pieces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees with a rack in center of oven. Butter a 9 inch cake pan (not springform). Place a circle of wax paper on the bottom, covering completely.  Butter paper.

Chop chocolate into fine pieces; set aside. Combine the water with 1 cup sugar in a heavy 1 1/2 quart saucepan. Bring to rapid boil over high heat. Cook about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.  Immediately add the chocolate pieces, stirring until completely melted.

Place eggs and 1/3 cup sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix eggs and sugar until sugar is completely dissolved. Add the chocolate/butter mixture to eggs and mix completely.
DO NOT OVERBEAT - causes air bubbles.

Spoon and scrape the mixture into prepared cake pan. Set pan into a larger pan. Set both in the oven and pour hot water into larger pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then run a sharp knife around sides to release cake.
Cover with plastic wrap and unmold onto a cookie sheet. Invert a serving plate over the cake and flip it over, so the plate is on the bottom and the cake on top. Serve with or without glaze.
Glaze: Scald the cream, add the chocolate off the heat, and stir very gently until smooth. Cool slightly and pour over cake.