Flourless Chocolate Cake
I saw this recipe while looking though a Culinary Institute of America baking textbook and both the ingredients and procedure caught my eye. I noticed, for the first time in my chocolate cake baking experience, whipped heavy cream as an ingredient. The procedure is also quite unique: the eggs are combined with melted chocolate and whipped together for about five minutes. It is baked in a water bath which produced excellent results in the flourless Bête Noire (5/13). Lastly the 400°F baking temperature is higher than usual. I had to try this recipe!
I gathered all the mise en place and went to it. While quite different from other cake procedures it was easy to follow. The whipped cream is folded into the whipped eggs and chocolate in two stages, with the first half lightening the batter and making it easier to fold in the remainder. As I poured the mousse-like cake batter into the pan, I had no idea what to expect.
After letting the finished cake cool and gently removing from the pan, I put a small slice on a plate and had a taste of chocolate heaven. Rich, intense chocolate flavor, yet with a light texture. Almost like a baked mousse. With a dollop of barely sweetened whipped cream on the side, this is an elegant and delicious dessert.
In my desire to give this treasure a more interesting name than simply Flourless Chocolate Cake I initially attached the word Ultimate to it. But is it? One thing I learned during the French-style chocolate cake series is that cakes have their own wonderful properties that work well in different scenarios and appeal to each of us in different ways. This Flourless Chocolate cake is very similar to the Bête Noire but maintains its creamy texture into the next day.
Do try this amazing Flourless Chocolate Cake recipe and decide for yourself. Since there’s very little sugar in this recipe, I opted for 61% Guittard, which provided a nice balance.
In the original recipe all measurements, including the heavy cream are in weight. Therefore, in a change from my usual recipe format, weight is the first measure unit provided.
Flourless Chocolate Cake
| Yield: 1 8-inch cake | # of Servings: 12 |
Ingredients:
8.25 oz (234 g) heavy cream, whipped to soft peaks
7 ½ oz (213 g) chocolate, 55% to 61%, wafers or chopped
6 oz (170 g / 3 ½ large) eggs (see note below)
2 ¼ oz (64 g / 4 large) egg yolks
2 ¾ oz (78 g / ⅓ cup + 2 tsp) sugar
1 pinch salt
¾ tsp vanilla extract
Confectioners’ sugar, as needed
Optional:
1 ½ cups heavy cream
2 to 3 tbl sugar
Special tools and equipment needed
- Baking scale
- One 8″ by 2″ cake pan with 8″ parchment circle liner.
- One baking/roasting pan with at least 1″ clearance on all sides.
- Instant read thermometer.
- Small saucepan for a double boiler.
- Countertop mixer with whip attachment, or handheld mixer.
Pre-recipe preparations:
- Place machine bowl and whip in the refrigerator.
- Butter the cake pan, line with parchment circle, and butter the circle.
- Fill a water kettle and bring to the boil.
- Preheat over the 400°F
Directions:
- In chilled bowl, whip the cream to soft peaks. Set aside in the refrigerator.
- In a small metal bowl over a double boiler, or in a glass bowl in the microwave, melt the chocolate. Keep warm.
- Place the eggs, egg yolks, sugar and salt in the machine bowl and whisk together. Place over double boiler and gently whisk until the mixture reaches 110°F.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in the chocolate, and vanilla extract.
- On medium speed (Kitchen Aid #6) whip until cool, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Remove from the mixer and fold in the whipped cream in two stages. The first half of the whipped cream will lighten the batter, making it easier to fold in the second half. At the end, fold just until no white streaks of whipped cream remain.
- Pour into prepared cake pan and place in baking/roasting pan. Pour hot water around the cake pan until a depth of one inch.
- Bake in the water bath until the top the cake feels firm to the touch, approximately 25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven, place the cake pan on a cooling rack, and let cool completely.
- To remove cake from the pan you will need; a clean 8″ parchment circle or plastic film, an 8″ cardboard circle, and a flat cake plate 9″ or greater in diameter.
- Place the parchment circle or plastic film over the top of the cake and turn upside down onto the 8″ cardboard circle.
- Once you feel that the cake has released, remove the cake pan, and peel off the bottom parchment circle. Place the cake plate over the bottom, flip over so the cake is right side up. If the cake doesn’t easily release, use a kitchen torch on sides and bottom, or briefly dip the cake pan in a bowl of very hot water.
- Dust with confectioners’ sugar just prior to serving. Cut into thin pieces.
- Whip cream and sugar to just soft peaks. Place in a bowl or a small dollop on each plate.
- Store the cake at room temperature.
Baking Note: The interior of a large egg is approximately 1.7 oz, so you will need approximately 3 ½ eggs for the 6 oz by weight. To measure the half egg, beat the 4th egg into a small measuring cup and add to the scale until it reaches 6 oz.
