Flourless Chocolate Cake with Orange Liqueur

14 oz Bittersweet baking chocolate

= finely chop 3/4 c Plus 2 tb unsalted butter

1 1/4 c Granulated sugar

10 lg Eggs; separated

2 tb Orange-flavored liqueur

1 tb Vanilla extract

Confectioners` sugar

Chilling time: Several hours or overnight. 1. Put chocolate and butter into top of double boiler. Cook

and stir over simmering water until melted. Stir in 3/4 cup of the sugar. Continue stirring until sugar is almost dissolved. 2. Beat egg yolks in large mixer until light. Beat in a

little of the warm chocolate until well combined. Continue adding chocolate until fully combined. Return chocolate mixture to top of double boiler; cook, stirring until slightly thickened. Do not boil. Remove from heat. 3. Heat oven to 250 degrees. Butter and flour 12-inch

springform pan. Line sides of pan with a strip of buttered wax paper. 4. Beat egg whites in large mixer bowl until foamy. Beat in

remaining 1/2 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until mixture holds stiff peaks. 5. Stir liqueur and vanilla into chocolate mixture, mixing

well. With a rubber spatula, scrape chocolate mixture over egg whites. Fold together gently, but thoroughly. 6. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake until set and top

is crusty, about 1 1/2 hours. Cool on wire rack to room temperature. Refrigerate until cold. Loosen edge of cake from sides of pan. Remove sides of pan. Put cake onto patter. Sprinkle heavily with confectioners` sugar. Top will be brittle. -----