Chocolate Quatre-Quarts

Name: Chocolate Quatre-Quarts
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients: 3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted in a double boiler or for 2 minutes in a microwave oven; ½ cup all-purpose flour; ½ cup cake flour; ¼ teaspoon baking soda; Large pinch kosher salt; 3 large eggs, room temperature, separated; 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, plus small amount for the pan; ¾ cup granulated sugar

By Barbara Kafka

Updated November 20, 2016

Total Time: 2 hours
Rating: (0)
Comments: Read comments

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Ingredients

Yield:12 servings

3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, melted in a double boiler or for 2 minutes in a microwave oven
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup cake flour
¼ teaspoon baking soda
Large pinch kosher salt
3 large eggs, room temperature, separated
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, plus small amount for the pan
¾ cup granulated sugar

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Position rack in lower third of oven. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Butter an 8 ½-by-4 ½-by-2 ½-inch loaf pan.
Step 2
Melt chocolate and set aside.
Step 3
Sift together flours, soda and salt. Set aside.
Step 4
Place egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff but not dry. Scrape whites into another bowl and set aside.
Step 5
Place butter in the mixer bowl and beat on medium-high speed until creamy. Gradually add sugar. Beat until very light and fluffy, stopping occasionally to scrape sides of bowl.
Step 6
Add egg yolks and beat until fluffy, stopping once to scrape down sides of bowl. Add dry ingredients and beat just until mixed. Beat in chocolate.
Step 7
Remove bowl from mixer. Stir about one third of the egg whites into the batter. Fold in remaining whites. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes, rotating pan after 40 minutes.
Step 8
Let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn cake out onto rack, turn upright and cool completely.
Step 9
Wrap cake tightly in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil. Refrigerate overnight or up to a week. Can be frozen for up to two months. (Defrost in refrigerator overnight.)