The Best Cure for Any Diet

This week's recipe comes from the kitchen of my very talented cousin, Jane. The first time I had it, I couldn't believe how good it was and I had to have the recipe. Now I'm passing it on . . . Today's recipe is for Double Rich Chocolate Decadence Cake with Chocolate Glaze:

Cake
1 lb dark chocolate (semi/bittersweet)
1 1/4 sticks butter (10 Tbsp)
5 eggs, separated
1/4 tsp cream of tarter
1 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Melt chocolate and butter over a double boiler. Cool slightly. Add 5 egg yolks (reserve the whites)--the best way to do this is to beat the yolks then slowly add some of the chocolate mixture. Combine yolks and chocolate mixture while stirring rapidly.

In a separate and sparkly clean bowl, whip the egg whites and gradually add 1/4 tsp cream of tartar and 1 Tbsp of sugar until stiff but not dry peaks form. Fold whites into the chocolate mixture in about 4 parts. Fold in cream

Bake in a 10" spring form pan at 350 degrees with a pan of water (preferably larger in diameter than the cake pan) on the lower oven rack (below the cake). Bake the cake for 25+/- minutes, or until it looks done (the center shouldn't jiggle too much). The cake itself will be very moist because of the pan of water it was cooked above--it's supposed to be that way. Cool.

Glaze (this recipe comes from The Whimsical Bake House Cookbook, which every mom should have)

8 oz semisweet chocolate
2/3 C heavy cream
3 1/3 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp light corn syrup

Garnish with Chocolate shavings, berries, or whatever you want

In a double boiler, melt the chocolate. In a saucepan, warm the cream, butter and corn syrup over medium-high heat. Stir until the butter melts, then continue to heat just before the boiling point. Slowly pour the scalded liquid over the melted chocolate, whisking constantly until smooth. Strain the icing through a fine sieve. The icing can be used immediately or cooled and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. If it has been chilled, reheat slowly in a double boiler before using. When ready to use, pour over the cake, allowing for the glaze to run over the edges and cover the entire cake. Use a rubber spatula to smooth and continue evenly coating. Garnish (I like to press chocolate shavings into the sides of the cake and have a few in the center--but wait until the glaze and cake have cooled, or you'll just end up with a melted mess).