BETE NOIRE CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the center of the oven.
• Butter a 9" cake pan (not a springform) and place a circle of parchment or wax paper on the bottom, covering it completely. Butter the paper.
• Chop both the chocolates into fine pieces and set them aside.
• Combine the water with 1 cup of the sugar in a heavy 1 1/2 quart saucepan. Bring to a rapid boil over high heat and cook about 2 minutes.
• Remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately add the chocolate pieces, stirring until they are completely melted. Then add the butter, piece by piece, stirring to melt it completely.
• Place the eggs and the remaining 1/3 cup sugar in either the bowl of an electric mixer or a regular mixing bowl. For a cake with a crunchy crust: beat the eggs and sugar in the electric mixer until they have tripled in volume. For a smooth top (better for frosting): mix the eggs and sugar only until the sugar dissolves.
• Add the chocolate/butter mixture to the eggs and mix to incorporate completely. DO NOT OVERBEAT! - this causes nasty air bubbles.
• Spoon and scrape the mixture into the prepared pan.
• Set the pan into a slightly larger pan or a sturdy jelly-roll pan.
• Set both in the oven and pour hot water into the larger pan.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes.
• Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then run a sharp knife around the sides to release the 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. (Ed. Note: I cook longer as I don't trust the consistency. It's very "soft").
• Ganache:.
• Scald the cream.
• Add the chocolate off the heat, and stir very gently until smooth.
• Cool slightly and pour over cake.