Bay Leaf Chocolate Cake Syrup: 1 cup sugar 1 vanilla bean, sliced open, insides scraped out 12 fresh bay leaves Cake: 12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), plus 1 tablespoon for greasing the pan 15 ounces bittersweet chocolate 6 eggs, separated 3/4 cup sugar 1 cup almond flour Whipped cream: 1 cup heavy cream 1 tablespoon of the syrup. Steps: 1. To make the syrup, combine the sugar with 1 cup of water in a small saucepan. Add the vanilla bean and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the liquid has been reduced to about 1 cup, about 15 to 20 minutes. Cool, strain and set aside. 2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with 1 tablespoon of the butter. 3. To make the cake, place the rest of the butter and 12 ounces of the chocolate in a double boiler. Heat the mixture over barely simmering water until the chocolate melts. 4. Meanwhile, place the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the sugar in a medium-size bowl. Using an electric or hand mixer, beat until the mixture thickens and is pale yellow in color. Add the melted chocolate mixture and mix well. Fold in the almond flour. 5. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar with the egg whites. Beat until stiff. Fold into the egg-yolk mixture. Pour the batter into the buttered pan. Chop the remaining chocolate into coarse chunks, about 1/2 to 1 inch each. Place randomly on top of the batter. 6. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake feels firm to the touch. Let cool and remove from the pan. 7. To make the whipped cream, combine the heavy cream with 1 tablespoon of the syrup and beat with a mixer until firm peaks form. On each of 6 dessert plates, pool a few tablespoons of the bay-leaf syrup. Place a slice of cake on each plate. Add a dollop of the bay-leaf whipped cream on the side of the plates. Garnish each with a fresh bay leaf.