Le Glorieux, a flourless chocolate and orange layer cake

Set a bowl over simmering water in a dutch oven, not letting the water touch the bowl, and melt the semi-sweet and unsweetened chocolate with the grated rind of one orange.

Keep the water at a low simmer; at a boil the chocolate goes matte and cement-like instead of glossy, and adding butter to that will split it.

Add a quarter cup of Cointreau gently, a little at a time.

Add the butter around a quarter inch piece at a time until all of it is melted, beating with a handheld electric mixer.

The mixture should look like a heavy mayonnaise; if it is too liquid, set the bowl over a bowl of iced water and beat until much thicker.

In a stand mixer blend five eggs and a cup of sugar on low speed.

Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract and beat seven to eight minutes until doubled in size, pale and fluffy, holding soft peaks.

Whole eggs and sugar do not make true peaks; the ribbon stage, where the lifted beater drops ribbons that sit on the surface before disappearing, is what the recipe means.

On a very slow speed gradually sift in the cornstarch over 15 to 20 seconds, stopping before a perfect blend so the eggs are not deflated.

Fold a gob of the egg mixture into the chocolate butter to lighten it.

Fold the chocolate butter into the eggs a large gob at a time, rapidly cutting through the batter and out to the side with a rubber spatula, rotating the bowl, repeating two or three times.

Spray and parchment-line two four-cup cake pans and pour the batter in equal amounts, moving it up the insides to the top to help it rise; tap to deflate bubbles. The pans should be about two thirds full.

Bake at 350F on the middle rack, spaced at least two inches from each other and the door, for 25 to 30 minutes; his took about 28 to 29 minutes. The centre must stay slightly moist, like a good brownie.

For the filling melt three ounces of semi-sweet and half an ounce of unsweetened chocolate over a double boiler at a bare simmer; the same recipe doubled makes the icing.

Add three tablespoons of orange liqueur per batch, then the butter in quarter inch pieces a little at a time.

Beat it down over a bowl of ice water until it reaches the mayonnaise consistency.

Run a knife around the cooled cakes, turn them onto a rack and peel off the parchment paper.

Spread the filling over the bottom layer, set the second on top and spread the icing over the top and, off recipe, the sides.