Flourless Chocolate Cake

Author: Dorte Lambert-Milan, Bon Appetit Magazine
Serves 10-12



 

12 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
6 large eggs, separated 12 tablespoons sugar
2 tsps. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9" springform pan.  Line bottom of pan with parchment paper or waxed paper; butter the paper.  Wrap outside of pan with foil.

Stir chocolate and butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth.  Remove from heat.  Cool to lukewarm, stirring often.

Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks and 6 Tbs sugar in large bowl until mixture is very thick and pale, about 3 minutes.  Fold lukewarm chocolate mixture into yolk mixture, then fold in vanilla.
Using clean, dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until soft peaks form.  Gradually add remaining 6 Tbs. sugar, beating until medium-firm peaks form.
Fold whites into chocolate mixture in 3 additions.  Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake cake until top is puffed and cracked and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist crumbs attached, about 50 minutes.  Cool cake in pan on rack (cake will fall).
Gently press down crusty top to make evenly thick cake.  Using small knife, cut around pan sides to loosen cake.  Remove pan sides.  Place 9-inch diameter tart pan bottom or cardboard round atop cake.  Invert cake onto tart pan bottom.  Peel off parchment paper.
 

Glaze

1/2 cup whipping cream 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
9 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

Bring cream and corn syrup to simmer in medium saucepan.  Remove from heat.  Add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth.

Place cake on rack set over baking sheet.  Spread 1/2 cup glaze smoothly over top and sides of cake.  Freeze until almost set, about three minutes.  Pour remaining glaze over cake.  Smooth sides and top.  Place cake on platter.  Chill until glaze is firm, about an hour.  Serve at room temperature.

Notes and Variations

Bon Appetit recommends garnishing with chocolate shavings and gold-brushed leaves.  I want to serve it with fresh raspberries.

I (Jane) tried this recipe to take to a Christmas party where I knew one of the other guests did not eat wheat.  It was a great success, but the first time making this recipe was a lot of work and dirtied every bowl in the kitchen.  It should get easier with practice.

I used semisweet Baker's chocolate.  I don't think I want to try it with bittersweet, it was very dark as is.
 

Sources

Bon Appetit magazine, January 1999, p.94-95.  All rights belong to Bon Appetit, and no copyright infringement is intended (I just want to share the recipe with people who've asked me for it).  If asked to do so, I will remove this recipe from my website.  Bon Appetit's own recipe