This flourless chocolate cake is so good – moist, light, rich (I know that doesn’t make sense, but it is oddly true) and chocolatey. Intensely chocolatey. The lightness comes from the egg whites that are folded in at the end, and the chocolate, from the bittersweet chocolate. Just a few ingredients but the result is wow. I served this with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and home made hot fudge sauce that really put this over the top. But you don’t need all those elements. It is good all alone. Today I nibble on leftovers are 2 days old and cold but still blog-worthy.
The author states “This cake really show-cases the chocolate you use, so be sure to use a high-quality brand and a type of chocolate that you really love.”
bittersweet chocolate cake (from The Craft of Baking by Karen DeMasco & Mindy Fox):
3 tablespoons sugar (Demerara if you have it (I didn’t)
9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped. (use 65 to 72%)
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces. (plus more for the pan)
4 large eggs, separated and best at room temp
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 10 inch spring form pan and then dust with the Demerara sugar.
Combine the chocolate and butter and melt in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan with about 2 inches of simmering water. Stir frequently and remove once melted (do not cook the chocolate, just melt).
With the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks on medium speed for about a minute. Add 1/4 cup of the sugar and whisk on high speed until the mixture is pale yellow and thick – about 7-10 minutes.
Gently fold the yolk mixture into the melted chocolate mixture.
With a clean bowl and whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium speed until a little foamy. With the machine running, slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and salt. Beat on medium high speed until soft, glossy peaks form – after about 5 minutes. Then in 3 additions, gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate/yolk mixture.
Pour the batter into the prepped pan and place on a baking sheet and place into the oven. Bake until a toothpick in the center comes out almost clean and note that the cake will likely be cracked with firmer edges. Do not over bake. Oh, and rotate the pan about half way through baking.
Let the cake cool for about 30 min. Then run a knife around the edges and release from the pan.
Let cool and enjoy!!
