Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Prepare the cake a day ahead of when you want to serve it. The cake is very dense, and takes a long time to cool, so don't start too late in the day. :).
  2. Place a cookie sheet on the oven rack in case the springform pan leaks. Preheat oven to 350°F Grease a 10" x 3" springform pan.
  3. In a 3 quart saucepan, over low heat, heat chocolate, butter or margarine, sugar, half & half cream, vanilla, and salt until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth, stirring constantly.
  4. In large bowl, stir eggs slightly with a fork. Do not use a mixer, as this will over beat the eggs and the cake will scorch on the edges and fall in the middle.
  5. Slowly stir chocolate mixture into eggs until well blended: pour into springform pan.
  6. Bake for 45 minutes, or until center of cake is level and not concave.
  7. Cool cake completely, in pan, on wire rack. When cake is cool, run a sharp knife around the side of the pan, and remove the side of the pan. Wrap cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled - minimum 6 hours, but overnight is best.
  8. After cake is chilled, place cake, still on pan bottom, on a cake plate. Put strips of waxed paper between the pan bottom and the cake plate, to catch the drips of glaze. (Helpful Hint: Use a clean piece of that grippy carpet underlay between pan bottom and plate to keep the cake from sliding around as you try to slice it.).
  9. If the top edge of the cake is higher than the center of the cake, or very uneven, you can trim it with a sharp knife if you want a prettier cake.
  10. Prepare Chocolate Glaze as follows.
  11. In 2 quart saucepan, over low heat, heat chocolate chips and butter or margarine until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Remove pan from heat. Beat in milk and corn syrup.
  12. Spread warm glaze over top and sides of cake. Discard waxed paper.
  13. Prepare whipped topping, beating until stiff peaks form. Pipe whipped topping around edge of cake. Refrigerate if not serving right away. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerater for a few days, or can be sliced and frozen, though the whipped topping is not as nice after freezing.