- 16
Ingredients
- 9 large eggs, separated
- 1 cup sugar, divided
- 5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted
- 1 cup walnut halves, processed to a powder (see note**)
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat over to 350
In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, beat egg yolks with 1/2 cup sugar until they are light yellow and form ribbons or ripples. Reduce mixer speed to low and pour in warm (but not hot) chocolate and half of processed nuts; mix until incorporated and set aside.
In a large bowl, with an electric mixer on high speed, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Reduce mixer speed to medium and incorporate remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Increase mixer speed to high and beat until egg whites hold their shape but are not too stiff to dry.
Incorporate a heaping cup of egg whites into chocolate mixture with a spatula; then carefully fold chocolate mixture and remaining processed nuts into remaining egg whites.
Spoon batter into an ungreased two-piece 10-inch angel food cake pan with feet; carefully smooth top into an even layer. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, about 75 minutes.
Remove cake from oven and turn pan upside-down on its feet to cool - the cake will not fall out (if you do not have a footed pan, simple invert the pan over the top of a wine bottle). When cake is completely cool to the touch, loosen edges with a sharp knife and remove cake from pan. Cut into 16 pieces and serve.
**You can grate the nuts by hand. Or you can use a food processor or mini chopper, using short pulses. Do not allow the nuts to clump together and start to form "butter". Keep them fluffy since they are used as "flour".