Perfect Flourless Chocolate Cake

Everyone should have this heavenly dessert in their repertoire, it's impressive, yet simple to make, and its dense rich chocolate flavor and texture...perfect. I learned how to make this cake from pastry chef Elaine Wallace. Use a high quality dark chocolate for this recipe, with a cacao percentage of at least 50%. And yes, that is edible gold adorning the top!

* Chocolate is considered dark when it contains approximately 50-90% cacao (cocoa).

You're going to have three bowls of ingredients, the melted chocolate in a very large bowl, the egg yolks in the stand mixer bowl, and the soft peak heavy cream in a medium size bowl.

You will fold the eggs into the chocolate, then fold in the cream....

Yield: One 9 inch cake Servings: 14-16

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound dark chocolate, finely chopped *

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons white sugar

1/3 cup strong coffee, warmed (so it mixes with the chocolate smoothly)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

scant dash of salt

6 large eggs, at room temperature

1/2 cup white sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Coat a 9 inch round cake pan (not a springform pan) with vegetable oil. Line the bottom with a parchment round. Set aside.

Select a pan that is larger than the 9 inch round to serve as the water bath for the cake as it cooks. Set aside.

Melt the chocolate in a large metal bowl, gently over hot water, keeping it warm.

Whip the cream in a separate medium bowl, with the 2 tablespoons of sugar, until the cream forms soft peaks. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whip the eggs on high speed. Mix until eggs have doubled in volume. Add the dash of salt and vanilla extract. Gradually add the 1/2 cup white sugar to the eggs, in stages. Continue to whip the eggs until they have tripled in volume and are light and fluffy.

Pour the coffee into the chocolate, stirring gently until combined. Fold the eggs into the chocolate mixture, in three additions. Fold in cream.

Pour the batter into the parchment lined pan. Place the pan in a larger pan. Fill the outer pan with warm water until it reaches halfway up the side of the 9 inch cake pan. (I have forgotten to warm the water that goes around the cake, and it turned out just as perfect.)

Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the cake is still slightly undone in the center (it will continue to cook as it cools). Cool cake on a wire rack.

To unmold, slide a knife around the sides of the cake to loosen it from the pan. Cover the top of the pan with a serving platter, and turn right side up.

Sprinkle cake with cocoa powder and edible gold dust (optional). You may also add a chocolate ganache to the top of the cake. Many options, make it your own!

😍

I serve the cake with whipped cream and berries. Cake keeps at room temperature for 3-4 days, if it lasts that long.