merrifood

Flourless chocolate cake

Posted by merrifood on February 24, 2013 · 1 Comment 

Get ready, chocolate lovers – this cake is unbelievably simple to make and soooo good.  It is not for the faint of heart as it’s really quite incredibly chocolatey, but it’s a pleasant change from a typical brownie – just as easy to make but somehow far more sophisticated looking.  It would be great for a dinner party, a birthday, or just because it’s a Thursday night and you feel like baking (which was the case with me).

Most flourless cakes have almond meal in them but this one literally consists of just five ingredients and a bit of salt.  The lack of flour makes the cake extra dense and fudgey.  And if you are a gluten free type person then it’s really a perfect option!  Not much more to say about this than it’s super easy and 100% chocolate in the best way.

Flourless chocolate cake (adapted from Slow Like Honey)

Ingredients:
4 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)
115 g / 1/2 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder plus additional for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 190 C / 375 F and line a round baking pan with parchment paper.   Chop chocolate into small pieces. In a double boiler or metal bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water melt chocolate with butter, stirring, until smooth.  Alternately, you can just melt it in a microwave, but make sure to check it every 30 second or so.  Then stir in the sugar.  Add eggs and mix well. Pour 1/2 cup cocoa powder and salt over chocolate mixture and whisk until just combined. Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven 25 minutes, or until top has formed a thin crust. Cool cake in pan for about 5 minutes and then lift it out and put it onto a serving plate.  It is delicious warm but tastes just as good the next day, when the flavour has settled in. It will keep up to a week in an airtight container as well, though good luck making it last that long.

Melted chocolate and butter

Adding the eggs

Batter ready to go into the oven

Finished product

Dusted with cocoa to give it just a bit more chocolate

I confess to having a little bit of this for breakfast (with a banana).  It’s just that good.