flourless chocolate cake
I made this cake along with a lemon tart for Christmas Eve dinner. If it were my choice I would have many two chocolate desserts, but I needed something for those anti-chocolate people like my dad. These worked perfectly, a chocolate cake for my chocolate loving mom, and a lemon tart for my lemon loving dad. As for everyone else they enjoyed a slice of both. This cake was not too hard to make. Other than whipping the egg whites the rest of the steps were easy to follow. This cake works great for a holiday dessert and its richness makes it easy to get many little slices out of it.
What you need:
12 tbs butter
1/2 cup dutch process cocoa powder
3/4 cup granulated sugar
6 oz bittersweet chocolate (60%)
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup confectioners sugar
2 eggs
Fresh strawberries (optional for top)
1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350°F. Butter an 8-inch pan* with 1 tablespoon or less of butter provided. Separate the egg yolks and whites into 2 small bowls. In a medium bowl, whisk cocoa and sugar together.
2. Cut the butter into 1-inch cubes. Combine the butter and chocolate in a large heatproof (Pyrex® or porcelain) bowl. Microwave for 1 to 2 minutes until melted by doing so in 30-second increments. Stir chocolate mixture smooth, releasing any heat. Be careful not to burn the chocolate!
3. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, combine egg whites and salt. Beat the whites on high until soft peaks form. Add the sugar mixture, egg yolks, vanilla, and a quarter of the beaten whites to the chocolate mixture. Stir with a whisk until smooth. With a spatula, gently fold in the remaining whites until blended.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. The cake will rise in the oven and collapse slightly as it cools.
5. Unmold, run a knife around the sides of the pan. Place a plate (face down) over the cake in the pan, and gently invert. Remove the pan by gently tapping the bottom. Repeat inversion with a serving plate so that your cake is upright.
6. Garnish your cake by sifting confectioner’s sugar over it, and decorating with strawberries. To distribute sugar evenly, hold the sugar a few inches above the cake and tap a sieve gently.
Tips:
*you can use a bigger or smaller pan. The bigger the pan the thinner it will be, the smaller the thicker. If you choose to bake in a smaller pan cook for longer, and if using a bigger pan bake for less time.
Recipe from: Red Velvet NYC
https://redvelvetnyc.com/pages/flourless-chocolate-cake
