Flourless Chocolate Cake is amazingly dense, rich and decadent, with every bite packed with intense bittersweet chocolate flavor.
Ingredients for Flourless Chocolate Cake:
I used the following ingredients for the cake: bittersweet chocolate chips, unsalted butter, granulated sugar, salt, espresso powder, vanilla extract, eggs and Dutch-process cocoa.
The glaze is a simple ganache consisting of bittersweet chocolate chips and heavy cream.
Making the Flourless Chocolate Cake:
The first thing that I did was to prepare an 8-inch round cake pan. I sprayed it with Bak-klene ZT which is a mixture of non-stick spray and flour. Then, I placed a parchment round in the bottom and sprayed the parchment. I suspect something like Baker’s Joy would work just as well.
I placed the chocolate chips and butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and heated it on 60% power for about 2 minutes. After two minutes, the butter was melted and the chocolate had started to melt. Using a silicon spatula, I stirred the mixture until the butter and chocolate were well combined. Then I added the sugar, salt, espresso powder, and vanilla to the chocolate/butter mixture, and stirred well to combine. I added the eggs and beat the mixture on medium speed until it was smooth. Finally, I added the cocoa powder and mixed with the silicon spatula just until it was incorporated.
I poured the batter into the prepared 8-inch pan, smoothed out the top, and baked it at 375° F.
Per the King Arthur recipe, the cake should register at least 200° F with an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center. After 23 minutes, the temperature registered 202° F, so it was time to take it out of the oven and let the cake begin cooling.
Ganache:
After about 5 minutes of cooling, I loosened the edges of the cake with a knife, and turned it onto a wire rack to cool completely. The cake came out perfectly! Once the cake had cooled completely, Susan began her magic, first making the ganache by heating the heavy cream in the microwave until it was hot, pouring it over the chocolate chips, and stirring the mixture until the chocolate had melted and was completely smooth. When the ganache was ready, Susan spooned it over the cake, spreading the ganache to cover the sides.
To dress things up a bit, Susan also made some whipped ganache to pipe onto the cake.
Unfortunately, the ganache had to set for several hours before we could dig into the cake. Oh my, the wait was totally worth it – absolutely decadent. Yum!
- 1 cup (6 ounces, 170 grams) bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (1 stick, 4 ounces, 113 grams) unsalted butter
- 3/4 cup (5.25 ounces, 149 grams) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder* optional
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (1.5 ounces, 43 grams) Dutch-process cocoa
- 1 cup (6 ounces, 170 grams) bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (4 ounces, 113 grams) heavy cream
- 3/4 cup (4 ounces, 113 grams) bittersweet chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons (3 ounces, 85 grams) heavy cream
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease an 8" round cake pan; cut a piece of parchment or waxed paper to fit, grease it, and lay it in the bottom of the pan.
Put the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the butter is melted and the chips are soft, about 2 minutes on 60% power. Stir until the chips melt, reheating briefly if necessary.
- Stir in the sugar, salt, espresso powder, and vanilla. Add the eggs, beating briefly until smooth. Add the cocoa powder, and mix just to combine.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake for 20 to 25 minutes; the top will have formed a thin crust, and it should register at least 200°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into its center.
- Remove cake from the oven, and cool it in the pan for 5 minutes.
- Loosen the edges of the pan with a table knife or nylon spreader, and turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely before adding the ganache.
Combine the chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the cream is very hot, but not simmering. Remove from the microwave, and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is completely smooth. Spoon the ganache over the cake, spreading it to drip over the sides a bit.
Combine the chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the cream is very hot, but not simmering. Remove from the microwave, and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is completely smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature. Beat until thick and piping consistency. Pipe with #21 star tip.
- Allow the ganache to set for several hours before serving the cake. Yield: 8-inch cake, 8 to 12 servings.
*As a substitute for espresso powder, grind regular coffee very finely in coffee grinder.
