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1
Butter two 9 inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with wax paper, then butter the paper.
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2
Dust the pans with flour and knock out the excess.
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3
Preheat the oven to 350F (180C).
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4
In the top of a double boiler, heat the chocolate over hot water, stirring, until just melted.
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5
Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the butter, one tablespoon at a time.
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6
Continue to stir the mixture until smooth.
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7
In the bowl of the mixer, beat the egg yolks until combined.
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8
Add 3/4 cup of the sugar, a little at a time, and continue to beat the mixture until it falls in a ribbon when the beater is lifted.
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9
Beat in the melted chocolate mixture, the liqueur and the orange pinch of salt until frothy.
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10
Add the cream of tartar and beat the whites until they hold soft peaks.
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11
Add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, a little at a time, and beat the whites until they are stiff.
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12
Sift the flour with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt onto a sheet of wax paper.
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13
Stir one fourth of the whites into the batter.
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14
Fold in the remaining whites and sift and fold the flour mixture in batches into the egg mixture until just combined.
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15
Pour the batter into the cake pans, smoothing the tops, and bake the layers in the middle of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the centers comes out clean.
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16
Let the cakes cool in the pans on racks for 5 minutes, invert the cakes onto the racks, and remove the wax paper carefully.
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17
Let the cakes cool completely.
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18
The cakes form a thin crust that will flake off.
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19
Frost with chocolate mousse.
