ISO: flourless chocolate cake recipe

[stacy7272]

If someone has a lightened flourless chocolate cake recipe I would really appreciate you sharing it. I wouldn't be opposed to making non-lightened versions either. TIA!!

[Kayla]

...but real good!

This is one of my favorites to make, and always awards me many compliments. It's from epicurious and is at this link here. The recipe also follows:

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE GLAZE



For cake
12 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

6 large eggs, separated
12 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For glaze
1/2 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup dark corn syrup
9 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Chocolate shavings or Gold-brushed Chocolate Leaves

Make cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper or waxed paper; butter paper. Wrap outside of pan with foil. Stir chocolate and butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm, stirring often.

Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks and 6 tablespoons sugar in large bowl until mixture is very thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Fold lukewarm chocolate mixture into yolk mixture, then fold in vanilla extract. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 6 tablespoons sugar, beating until medium-firm peaks form. Fold whites into chocolate mixture in 3 additions. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake cake until top is puffed and cracked and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist crumbs attached, about 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack (cake will fall).

Gently press down crusty top to make evenly thick cake. Using small knife, cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Remove pan sides. Place 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom or cardboard round atop cake. Invert cake onto tart pan bottom. Peel off parchment paper.

Make glaze:
Bring cream and corn syrup to simmer in medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth.

Place cake on rack set over baking sheet. Spread 1/2 cup glaze smoothly over top and sides of cake. Freeze until almost set, about 3 minutes. Pour remaining glaze over cake; smooth sides and top. Place cake on platter. Chill until glaze is firm, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; store at room temperature.) Garnish with chocolate shavings or leaves. Serve at room temperature.

Serves 10 to 12.


Bon Appétit
January 1999

Enjoy!

[blazedog]

This is not a lightened version but it's one of my favorites. It's an old Maida Heatter recipe and reputed to be the Queen Mum's favorite - hence the name.

Queen Mother's Cake
Recipe courtesy Maida Heatter, from Maida Heatter's Cakes

 Recipe Summary

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

Inactive Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
Yield: 12 servings
6 ounces (scant 1 1/2-cups) blanched or unblanched almonds
6 ounces unsalted butter, plus extra for pan
Fine dry bread crumbs
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into small pieces
3/4 cup granulated sugar
6 eggs, separated
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Icing, recipe follows

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Toast the almonds in a single layer in a shallow pan for 12 to 15 minutes, shaking the pan a few times, until the almonds are lightly colored and have a delicious smell of toasted almonds when you open the oven door. Set aside to cool.

Raise the oven temperature to 375 degrees F. Adjust a rack 1/3 up in the oven. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9 by 3-inch springform pan. Line the bottom with a round of parchment paper that has been cut to fit. Butter the paper. Dust the pan all over with fine, dry bread crumbs, invert over paper, and tap lightly to shake out the excess. Set the prepared pan aside.

Place the chocolate in the top of a small double boiler over warm water on moderate heat. Cover until partially melted, then uncover until and stir until just melted and smooth. Remove the top of the double boiler and set it aside until the chocolate is tepid, or room temperature.

Place the almonds and 1/4 cup of the sugar in a food processor fitted with a metal chopping blade. Process very well until the nuts are fine and powdery. Stop the machine once or twice, scrape down the sides, and continue to process. Process for at least 1 full minute. I have recently realized that the finer the nuts are, the better the cake will be. Set aside the ground nuts.

In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft. Add 1/4 cup of the sugar and beat to mix. Add the egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating and scraping the side of the bowl as necessary, until smooth. On low speed, add the chocolate and beat until mixed. Then, add the processed almonds and beat, scraping the bowl, until incorporated.

Now the whites should be beaten in the large bowl of the electric mixer. If you don't have an additional large bowl for the mixer, transfer the chocolate mixture to another large bowl. Wash the bowl and the beaters.

In the large bowl of the mixer, with clean beaters, beat the egg whites with the salt and lemon juice, starting on low speed and increasing it gradually. When the whites barely hold a soft shape, reduce the speed a bit and gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Then, on high speed, continue to beat until the whites hold a straight point when the beaters are slowly raised. Do not overbeat.

Stir a large spoonful of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, to soften it a bit. Then, in 3 additions, fold in the remaining whites. Do not fold thoroughly until the last addition and do not handle any more than necessary. Turn the mixture into the prepared pan. Rotate the pan a bit briskly from left to right in order to level the batter.

Bake for 20 minutes, and then reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F, and continue to bake for an additional 50 minutes. Do not overbake, the cake should remain soft and moist in the center. (The top might crack a bit - it's O.K.)

Wet and slightly wring out a folded towel and place it on the wet towel. Let stand until tepid, 50 to 60 minutes.

Release and remove the sides of the pan (do not cut around the sides with a knife, it will make the rim of the cake messy). Let the cake stand until it is completely cool. The cake will sink a little in the middle, and the sides will be a little higher. Use a long, thin, sharp knife and cut the top to make level, Brush away the loose crumbs.

Place a rack or a small board over the cake and carefully invert. Remove the bottom of the pan and then paper lining. The cake is now upside down; this is the way it will be iced. Place 4 strips of baking paper (each about 3 by 12-inches) around the edges of a cake plate, With a large, wide spatula carefully transfer the cake to the plate; Check to be sure that the cake is touching the papers all around (in order to keep the icing off the plate when you ice the cake).

If you have a cake-decorating turntable or a lazy susan, place the cake on it. Make the icing.

Stir the icing to mix it, and pour it slowly over the top of the cake, pouring it into the middle. Use a long, narrow metal spatula to smooth the top and spread the icing so that a little of it runs down the sides (not too much, the icing on the sides should be a much thinner layer than the top). With a small, narrow metal spatula, smooth the sides.

Remove the strips of paper by pulling each 1 out toward a narrow end.

Icing:
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons powdered instant espresso
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into small pieces

Scald the cream in a 5 to 6-cup saucepan over moderate heat until it begins to form small bubbles around the edges or a thin skin on top. Add the dry espresso and whisk to dissolve. Add the chocolate and stir occasionally over heat for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk until the chocolate is all melted and the mixture is smooth. Let the icing stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or a little longer, until the icing barely begins to thicken.

[sdcook]

This is from the little Martha Stewart food magazine. I don't have the nutritional info because I just tore the page out.

Serves 8-Prep time: 20 minutes-Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes

6 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for pan
1 1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips (or 8 oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate)
6 large egg yolks
6 large egg whites
1/2 c granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 275, with rack in center. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Place butter and chocolate in large bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring each time, until melted; cool slightly. whisk in yolks.
2. In another bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add granulated sugar; beat until stiff and glossy. Whisk 1/4 of whites into chocolate mixture; gently fold mixture into remaining whites.
3. Pour into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until cake pulls away from sides of pan and is just set in center, 45-50 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Serve dusted with confectioners' sugar.

[Lynn B]

I don't think I've EVER seen a "light" flourless cake recipe. I guess I thought there was just "no such animal"! If anyone has one, I'd be very interested! Thanks!

Lynn

[TheresaM]

Mix together with fork:
3 C FLOUR
2 C SUGAR
2/3 C COCOA
1 TSP SALT
2 TSP BAKING SODA

Then Add:
2 C WATER
2/3 C OIL
2 TSP VINEGAR
2 TSP VANILLA

Bake ( in greased and floured pan ) at 350 for 40 min.

[breadmama]

CL had a cake on it's cover a few years ago - I think it was a Dark Chocolate Souffle Cake (or something like that.) It was very good, rich and dense. I'm not sure if it was a true flourless one, but it sure was well received, esp. with raspberries.

I tried to search for it, and had no luck. But I can picture the cover - a raspberry colored background, with the cake in the foreground. I think it was a winter issue - perhaps a holiday one.

Hope this helps!

[Middydd]

Originally posted by Kayla
...but real good!

This is one of my favorites to make, and always awards me many compliments. It's from epicurious and is at this link here.

I'll second this recipe, it's excellent and easy. Kayla's right, you're going to get lots of compliments with this one.

[eas11]

I've made the Cooks Illustrated recipe many times- simple and delish!
Don't have time to post it now, but if you want the recipe, holla It's includes in the Best Recipe book.

Ellyn

[sooty]

The Passionate Vegetarian has a really good light cake of that sort, I will look when I get home tonight and post it. I have made it often and it is much less caloric than some versions. Veg. Times Feb 2004 issue also had a lightened version in it.

[stacy7272]

I want to thank everyone for their input. I was making this with a friend and we went with the recipe from America's Test Kitchen. It was WONDERFUL! My friend had seen the recipe before and knew of others who raved of it so we went with that. Over the next couple of weeks and months I'm going to try some of the others that were shared. They all look so good! Thank you!

[pilgrim719]

Originally posted by sdcook
This is from the little Martha Stewart food magazine. I don't have the nutritional info because I just tore the page out.

Serves 8-Prep time: 20 minutes-Total time: 1 hour 10 minutes

6 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for pan
1 1/2 c semisweet chocolate chips (or 8 oz. chopped bittersweet chocolate)
6 large egg yolks
6 large egg whites
1/2 c granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 275, with rack in center. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Place butter and chocolate in large bowl. Microwave in 30 second increments, stirring each time, until melted; cool slightly. whisk in yolks.
2. In another bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add granulated sugar; beat until stiff and glossy. Whisk 1/4 of whites into chocolate mixture; gently fold mixture into remaining whites.
3. Pour into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until cake pulls away from sides of pan and is just set in center, 45-50 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack. Serve dusted with confectioners' sugar.

I have this magazine and just made this cake last week. It's very good! I posted a review here.

Kari