Do you ever need an impressive dessert that works for almost every occasion?
Try this flourless chocolate cake.
I mean it!
It’s sophisticated enough for even the most particular palates***, but kids also chow it down like there’s no tomorrow.
(It’s also gluten-free, but make no mistake; this is dessert and it is NOT healthy).
Now, everyone knows that I can’t cook a darn thing. Really.
But this cake brings it home, every time. The only potential stumbling blocks are needing a springform pan (even I can handle that) and deciding what type of chocolate to use (more below).
Seriously, follow the directions, and you are golden.
Ingredients:
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, plus more for the pan
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus a sprinkling for the pan
- 1/4 cup whipping cream
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (I have used part of a giant Trader Joe’s bar and two semi-sweet Ghirardelli bars; both with good results)
- 5 eggs
- 1 cup sugar
What to do:
- Heat oven to 350° F.
- Butter a 9-inch springform pan and dust with cocoa powder. (Use the paper from the two sticks of butter to do the buttering. Dump a little cocoa in your pan, roll it around, dump excess in sink).
- Break up the chocolate into pieces. Sampling is ok. Why wouldn’t you know what you’re getting into?
- In a medium pan, heat the butter with ¼ cup whipping cream over medium-low heat until the butter is melted.
- Add the broken chocolate and stir until melted and smooth; remove from heat.
- In a different bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and cocoa.
- Whisk in the hot chocolate mixture from the pan.
- Transfer everything to the springform pan and bake until puffed and set, 35 to 40 minutes. (Abide by this! I use 35 mins). It will fall after you take it out of the oven, but that’s ok.
How to serve:
- Dust with powdered sugar
- With creme fraiche and berries (optional: mint leaves)
- With whipped cream (whip the extra you bought for the paltry 1/4 cup above; season with a toss of sugar and a soupçon of vanilla)
- With ice cream
- Sprinkled with coarse salt (and caramel if you’re going all out)
- As it is. This cake is really good.
*** The most recent debut of this dessert was to a group of people that I can best describe as extraordinarily nice but used to the best. I was so nervous to cook for them! But this cake was a hit. My kids also begged for the extras!
