Bittersweet Chocolate Pecan Bourbon Cake

FOR THE GLAZE
6 oz Fine-quality bittersweet
-chocolate; chopped
1/2 c Heavy cream
4 Pecan halves
Lightly sweetened whipped
-cream as an
; accompaniment

Make the cake:

Line the bottom of a buttered 8 1/2-inch springform pan with wax
paper, butter the paper, and dust the pan with flour, shaking out the
excess. In a metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water
melt the chocolates, stirring until the mixture is smooth, remove the
bowl from the pan, and let the chocolate cool until it is room
temperature. In the bowl of an electric mixer cream together the
butter and the sugar until the mixture is pale and fluffy, add the
chocolate, and beat the mixture until it is combined well. Beat in
the egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, and
beat in the bourbon and the flour. In a large bowl beat the egg
whites with a pinch of salt until they just hold stiff peaks, stir
one third of them into the chocolate mixture to lighten it, and fold
in the remaining whites and the chopped pecans gently but thoroughly.
Turn the batter into the prepared pan and bake the cake in the middle
of a preheated 350F. oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a tester
inserted 2 inc hes from the rim comes out clean. (The center of the
cake will remain moist.) Transfer the cake to a rack and let it cool
completely. Remove the cake from the pan, invert it onto the rack,
and remove the wax paper carefully. The cake may be made 1 day in
advance and kept wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature.

Make the glaze:

Put the chocolate in a small bowl, in saucepan bring the cream to a
boil, and pour it over the chocolate. Stir the mixture until the
chocolate is melted and the glaze is smooth.

Invert the cake onto rack set on wax paper, pour the glaze over it,
smoothing the glaze over the top and side with a spatula, and arrange
the pecan halves in the center of the cake. Let the cake stand 2
hours, or until the glaze is set, and serve it with the whipped cream.