Ingredients:

8 Inch Cake Pan
Cake
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
5 eggs, beaten

Ganache
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 cup heavy cream

9 Inch Cake Pan
Cake
10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
2 1/4 cups sugar
6 eggs (the biggest in the carton), beaten

Ganache
15 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
1 1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Butter and line 8 inch round cake pan with buttered parchment paper

Cake

  1. Melt chocolate in a double-boiler
  2. Cool slightly
  3. Add butter one tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition
  4. Add sugar and beat 1 minute
  5. Add eggs and beat well
  6. Pour batter into buttered 8 inch round cake pan lined with buttered parchment paper
  7. Place cake pan in a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan up ½ way up the sides of the cake pan
  8. Bake for 1 1/4 hours
  9. Cool
  10. Refrigerate 2 hours
  11. Invert and spread with ganache

Ganache

  1. Briefly boil cream and chocolate
  2. Refrigerate until a spreadable thickness

To assemble, invert cake onto serving platter. Spread with ganache. Refrigerate. Serve with whipped cream or berries.

Notes:
If the cake pan has sloped sides, the crust on top of the cake will crack as it cools and contracts. It still tastes good.
When the cake is refrigerated, the butter on the pan congeals and effectively glues the cake into the pan. With patience, persistence, and prayer, you can heat the bottom of the pan enough to melt the butter and let the cake fall out when the pan is inverted.