Chocolate Idiot Cake

Ingredients

• 10 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
• 7 ounces butter,
• 5 large eggs,
• 1 cup sugar
• unsweetened cocoa powder,

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350ºF (175ºC). Butter a 9-inch (23cm) springform pan, coat the inside with cocoa powder, and knock out the extra. Cover the exterior of the pan with aluminum foil, using several layers if necessary, and bring the foil up to the outer rim.
2. Combine the chocolate and butter in a double boiler, or use the microwave, and melt them together, stirring now and then, until the mixture is smooth. Take it off the heat.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the sugar. Add the melted chocolate mixture and whisk again until the batter is smooth.
4. Scrape the batter into the prepared springform pan, then fit a sheet of foil tightly over the top. Set the springform pan inside a larger baking pan, such as a roasting pan, and pour in hot water until it comes halfway up the outside of the cake pan.
5. Bake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes. The middle should be barely set, with the soft wobble of chocolate pudding, and a gentle touch in the center should leave your finger almost clean.
6. Take the cake pan out of the water bath and pull off the foil. Cool the cake completely on a cooling rack.
7. Once cool, cut this very rich cake into thin wedges and serve it at room temperature with crème anglaise, ice cream, or whipped cream. A drizzle of chocolate sauce is another option.