This delicious cake is different from other good chocolate pound cakes. It uses chocolate instead of the more usual cocoa, and the cake is baked in a bain-marie, or water bath.

　　

Ingredients

4 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped

　　1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon water

　　1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for pan

　　1/2 cup sugar

　　2 large egg yolks

　　1 cup sifted cake flour (not self-rising), plus more for pan

　　1/4 cup almond flour or finely ground blanched almonds

　　3 large egg whites

　　Lightly whipped cream as an accompaniment if desired

　　

Special Equipment

7-inch (5-cup) bundt, Kugelhupf, or other high sided tube pan

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Butter and flour cake pan. In a small metal bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate with the water, stirring, until the mixture is smooth and remove the bowl from the heat. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter with the sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, beat in the egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and beat in the chocolate mixture. Onto a sheet of wax paper, sift the cake flour and in a bowl, combine it with the almond flour. Beat the flour mixture into the yolk mixture in batches, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition, and transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

　　

Step 2

In the mixer bowl, cleaned, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they just hold stiff peaks, stir 1/4 of the whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, and fold in the remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Spoon the batter into the bundt pan, smoothing the top, put the bundt pan in a deep roasting pan, and add enough hot water to the roasting pan to reach halfway up the side of the bundt pan. Bake the cake in the middle of the oven for 1 1/4 hours, or until a tester comes out clean. Remove the bundt pan from the water bath and let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Turn the cake out onto the rack and let it cool completely. Serve the cake with the cream.