-
1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
-
2
Butter the inside of a nine-inch cake pan.
-
3
Place a round of parchment or waxed paper, cut to fit, in the bottom of the pan.
-
4
Butter the round of paper.
-
5
Add about one tablespoon of flour to the buttered pan and shake it around to coat the bottom and sides of the pan.
-
6
Shake out excess.
-
7
Combine the cream and four tablespoons of butter in a saucepan.
-
8
When the mixture simmers, add all the chocolate and stir around the bottom and sides until melted.
-
9
Remove from the heat and let stand.
-
10
Break the eggs into a heat-proof earthenware or metal mixing bowl.
-
11
Stir in the sugar and vanilla.
-
12
Place the bowl over - not in - a basin of simmering water, beating the mixture vigorously with a wire whisk.
-
13
After about one minute, when the eggs are warm and not overly heated, remove the bowl from the basin and beat with an electric mixer.
-
14
Continue beating until the mixture is tripled in volume and reaches room temperature, about 7 to 10 minutes.
-
15
Scrape about one-third of the chocolate mixture into a large mixing bowl.
-
16
Add about one-third of the egg mixture and blend well with a spatula.
-
17
Add the remaining egg mixture and fold it in.
-
18
Fold in the remaining chocolate mixture and stir in the pecans.
-
19
Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
-
20
Smooth over the top.
-
21
Place the cake pan in a larger pan and pour boiling water around the cake pan.
-
22
Place in the oven and bake 45 to 50 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
-
23
Remove the cake from the oven and let it sit in the water bath about 30 minutes.
-
24
Remove the cake from the water bath and wipe off the bottom of the pan.
-
25
Invert the cake onto a platter, remove the round of paper and let stand to room temperature.
-
26
Serve with tropical-fruit custard sauce.
