French Chocolate Loaf Cake

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05

Title: French Chocolate Loaf Cake
Categories: Cakes, Chocolate
Yield: 6 servings

3/4 c Sifted cornstarch
=(sift before measuring
=(do not pack!)
8 oz Semisweet chocolate
1 ts Instant coffee
1/4 c Boiling water
3 oz Unsalted butter; 3/4 stick
1/2 c Granulated sugar
4 lg Eggs; separated
1/8 ts Salt
Pan of boiling water and
Flat pan for water bath

Adjust rack 1/3 up from bottom of oven/preheat to 350.
Line a 6 cup capacity loaf pan with foil, wrinkling as
little as possible. Brush foil with melted butter or, just
before pouring batter in, spray with Pam. Resift
cornstarch 3 times and set aside. Chop chocolate and place
in heavy pan. Dissolve coffee in boiling water and pour
over chocolate, cover and place over low heat to melt.
Stir with whisk, transfer to small bowl and set aside to
cool slightly. In bowl of large mixer, beat butter till
soft, gradually add sugar and beat for 2 to 3 minutes,
scraping bowl. Add egg yolks, one at at time, beating
well. Continue to beat till mixture is pale and creamy.
Add choc. at low speed, then add cornstarch and beat only
till smooth, scraping bowl as needed. In another bowl,
beat whites with salt only till whites just stand up; do
not overbeat. Add rounded TBLS. of whites to chocolate
mixture and stir to mix. Repeat a few times to lighten
mix, then stir in the remaining whites, half at a time,
folding gently but completely.

If using Pam, spray now/pour batter into pan. Lift pan in
both hands and move it gently back and forth to even out
batter. Place in larger pan (which may not be deeper than
cake pan) and pour boiling water in, about an inch deep.
Bake for 50 to 55 minutes until a tester gently inserted
into the middle, all the way to the bottom, comes out just
barely clean and dry. Test several times to be sure.
There will be a thin crust on top; the middle will be soft.
Do NOT overbake. Turn off heat; open oven door a few
inches and let cake stay in for 20 minutes. Open door all
the way and let cake stand in oven for another hour till
room temp. Remove cake from water bath and dry cake pan.
Invert onto serving plate and remove foil. Serve upside
down or freeze. Can be covered with chocolate curls
sprinkled with powdered sugar or with whipped cream and
berries.

-----