Flourless Chocolate Cake

 

Flourless Chocolate Cake

I owe you all an apology for my absence and lack of postings to this blog in the past several months. I found it very difficult to concentrate and be motivated due to all that has been happening around the world most especially with this terrible pandemic which has cost so many lives. I felt my posts were kind of trivial compared to so many other things bombarding us on a daily basis  then one day a friend said to me “ sometimes we need a little lightness and frivolity to make all of the darkness recede” . This struck a chord with me and I realized that the very act of creating something delicious and beautiful can be seen as fighting back against the dark and be a calming oasis amidst all the turbulence we are going through. I hope I can help in some small way to make your day a little better and ease some of the stress we are all coping with in today’s world.

This is a delicious flourless chocolate cake that I have been making for many years. I don’t remember where I got the original recipe from but it’s pretty standard for this type of cake. Very easy to make requiring no mixer, it comes together in no time, from start to finish in under an hour and then just needs an overnight chill in the fridge. It is VERY rich so small slices will do and as a result you can easily get 12 pieces out of this 8 inch cake. Read the recipe all the way through to find out the best way to make nice neat and pretty slices. I serve this cake with either a raspberry or cherry coulis, a bit of crèche fraîche and some toasted pistachios for crunch but feel free to improvise. 

Chocoholics rejoice!

Flourless chocolate cake

Makes 1-8 inch cake that serves approximately 12

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 C/ 118 ml water
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 3/4 C/ 150 g granulated sugar
• 18 oz/ 510g bittersweet chocolate (no higher than 60-62% cacao) coarsely chopped
• 1 C/ 227g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

• INSTRUCTIONS

  • 1. Preheat oven to 300°F/150°C. Butter the sides and bottom of an 8 in/23cm round cake pan then line the bottom with a parchment paper round and grease that too. and set aside.
    2. In a small saucepan over medium heat combine the water, salt and sugar. Whisk until the syrup is completely dissolved and hot then set aside.
    3. Melt the chocolate in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave stopping at one minute intervals to stir. It shouldn’t take more than 3-4 minutes of the pieces are small enough. If there are still some pieces left unmelted just continue to stir with a rubber spatula and the residual heat will melt them.
    4. Cut the butter into 1”/2.5cm pieces and beat it into the chocolate with a wire whisk, 1 or 2 pieces at a time.
    5. Mix in the warm sugar/water mixture until combined.
    6. Slowly beat in the eggs, one at a time until completely smooth.Try not to beat in too much air with the whisk or your cake will have little bubbles on the surface.
    7. Add vanilla and mix until just combined.
    8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
    9. Put the filled cake pan into a larger pan and fill the larger pan with boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of your cake pan.
    10. Carefully place the cake pans into the oven taking care not to get any water in the pan with the chocolate, and bake for 40-45 minutes. The center will still look wet, but the edge will look done.
    11. Remove the cake from the oven and the water bath and let it cool on a wire rack for at least an hour.
    12. Chill cake overnight (or for at least 6 hours) in the pan.
    13. To unmold the cake, run a knife around the edge of the cake. Fill the larger pan you used as your water bath with very hot water and carefully dip the smaller pan containing the cake into the hot water until you see the chocolate melt a bit. Don’t get any water on the cake! Lift the pan with the cake out of the water and dry it off.
    14. Place a cutting board over the cake pan and flip them over. Hold the cake pan onto the cutting board and rap the cutting board firmly on the counter covered with a clean dish towel until the cake is released. You may need to dip the cake pan into the hot water again. Carefully lift the parchment paper off of the bottom of the cake and place the serving plate on it. Flip the cake again so it is right side up and garnish as desired.
    15. To slice this cake, take it out of the refrigerator at least an hour before serving, dip a sharp long knife into a tall glass of very hot water and dry it off. Make a slice on the cake then repeat the hot water dip and dry and slice again. You will get nice sharp wedges of cake this way.
    16. This cake should be eaten at room temperature for the best texture. 
    17. Serve with a berry coulis, whipped cream or crèche fraîche.
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