Fudgy Chocolate Cake Bars

• semisweet chocolate chips↗8 ounce
• sticks salted butter, about 170 grams, softened↗1.5
• sugar↗1 cup
• all purpose flour↗0.25 cup
• eggs, yolks and whites separated↗6
• semisweet chocolate chips (for the frosting)↗8 ounce
• heavy cream (for the frosting)↗1 cup

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt 8 ounces of chocolate chips in a double boiler, or if you don’t have a double boiler, just melt it in a heat-safe bowl over a pot of boiling water. Stir in the butter until it’s all melted.

2. 2

   Transfer the melted mixture to a cooler, larger bowl and add the sugar and flour. Lightly beat the egg yolks and stir them into the bowl.

3. 3

   Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites until they are stiff. I find that it helps to have a cold bowl when I do this, and usually it takes about 3 minutes. Fold the stiff egg whites into the chocolate mixture.

4. 4

   Pour the batter into the rectangular bar pan (9×13) or a round cake pan (8 1/2 inches) lined with parchment paper and bake for about 30-35 minutes. The cake should have a thin crust on top when it’s done, but the inner texture might appear underbaked. That’s okay – the cake settles and firms up as it cools. It’s meant to be thick and fudgy. I baked for 35 minutes and I wish I had stopped at 30.

5. 5

   Make the frosting by melting the chocolate again in the double boiler with the cream, stirring until just melted. Let the frosting cool slightly and the gently spread the frosting over the cake bars. To set the frosting, let it cool in the refrigerator. Or dig in to the hot melty chocolate. Up to you.