Chocolate Cake

- 1 cup butter (roughly 2 sticks), or margarine
- 1 tbsp cognac
- 4 heaped tbsp (unsweetened) cocoa powder
- 1¼ cups sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 5 heaped tbsp self-rising flour
- 3 eggs (separate yolks from egg whites)
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

(1) Cut the butter into small pieces, and place in a large bowl.

(2) In a little sauce pan, on low-heat, mix water + cocoa + sugar, and bring to low boil, stirring attentively.

(3) Pour boiling mixture over butter, and mix until homogeneous (should take a few minutes).

(4) Add the egg yolks and the cognac to the mix.

(5) Set aside 3/4 cup of this mix which will be used as frosting.

(6) In a separate bowl, vigorously whip the 3 egg whites into fluffy consistency. You know it's about ready when it's neither too liquidy nor too stiff, rather, it can sort of be molded and shaped.

(7) Now add whipped egg whites, and mix very gently into the chocolate mix.

(8) If you have walnuts, mix them in now.

(9) Gently scoop the mixture into a metal baking pan, and spread to even height.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and bake for 20-30 minutes.

After removing it from the oven and letting it cool, spread frosting on top.