Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Heavily butter a 12 cup bundt or other fancy tube pan, and sprinkle it generously with sugar (including the tube).

Melt chocolate, butter, and oil. In a large bowl, stir the egg yolks to mix, and gradually add chocolate mixture. The mixture will thicken as the warm chocolate mixture cooks the yolks. Stir in the sugar and vanilla until smooth. In another bowl, beat the egg whites and salt until they hold a point when the beaters are lifted. Fold them gently in about four additions to the chocolate mixture. Turn the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the lower third of the oven for two hours and 15 minutes. The cake will rise and then fall which is okay. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for 15 to 20 minutes,then turn out on serving dish for immediate serving or on paper lined cookie sheet to freeze. If freezing, wrap securely in saran wrap or foil after the cake has frozen, and to defrost, unwrap, put on serving plate immediately, and cover closely with saran. As the warm air meets the frozen cake, moisture will condense on the outside of the saran. If the cake is uncovered, it will condense on the cake making it soggy. Serve with whipped cream on the side if desired.

This cake freezes well, is wonderful when served warm directly from the oven with cold whipped cream, and has a long life span in the refrigerator. It's a favorite among my family and friends. It's a large fallen chocolate souffle.

Editor's Note: Thanks to Patricia Jackson