Instructions: Garnish: Cocoa, powdered sugar and a coulis made from slightly sweetened, pureed and strained fresh or IQF blackberries, if desired.

Over low heat, warm butter until just melted but not hot. Add chocolate and espresso powder or rum and whisk until melted. Cool slightly. In a separate bowl, beat yolks and half the sugar until light in color. Add warm chocolate mixture and whisk together.

With a mixer preferably, separately whip egg whites with a pinch of salt, orange zest and add remaining sugar gradually just until firm peaks are formed. Stir in one quarter of whipped whites into chocolate mixture to lighten it. Carefully fold in remaining whites.

Very lightly oil or butter a 9-inch spring form pan and place a circle of parchment or waxed paper on bottom. Pour batter into pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Cool and refrigerate if not serving same day. Note that cake will have a "cracked" top surface, which is part of its charm!

To serve: Slice in small wedge and dust alternately with good unsweetened cocoa and powdered sugar and a tablespoon or two of blackberry coulis on plate if desired. John Ash (c) 2001.

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