Flourless Chocolate Cake
Cake
- 12oz (340g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 6 large eggs, separated
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a metal 9" (22 cm) springform pan; cut a piece of parchment to fit, grease it, and lay it in the bottom of the pan. Wrap outside of pan with tinfoil.
To make the cake: Stir chopped chocolate and butter in heavy saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and cool to lukewarm, stirring often. Transfer the melted chocolate/butter to a mixing bowl.
OR
Put the chopped chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the butter is melted and the chips are soft. Stir until the chips melt, reheating briefly if necessary.
With electric mixer, beat egg yolks and 6 tablespoons sugar until thick and pale (~3 min). Fold chocolate mixture into yolks. Fold in vanilla.
With clean beaters, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 6 tablespoons sugar and beat until medium-stiff peaks form. Fold into other batter mixture. Pour into prepared pan. Put pan into larger pan filled with 1/2 inch water.
Bake until top is puffed and cracked and tester comes out with some moist crumbs on it (approximately 50 minutes).
Cool in pan until cake falls. Gently press down crusty top till cake is even. Loosen cake from pan then open pan. Flip cake over and peel off paper.
Glaze
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
- 1/2 cup dark corn syrup
- 9 oz cup (255g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- chocolate shavings, optional
In a heavy saucepan, bring whipping cream and corn syrup to simmer. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate until melted and smooth.
Loosen the edges of the pan with a table knife or nylon spreader, and turn it out onto a serving plate. The top will now be on the bottom; that's fine. Also, the edges will crumble a bit, which is also fine. Allow the cake to cool completely before glazing.
To make the glaze: In heavy saucepan, bring whipping cream and corn syrup to simmer. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate until melted and smooth.
Spread ½ cup glaze over top and sides of cake. Freeze ~5 min until glaze is almost frozen. Pour remaining glaze over top.
Chill until glaze is firm, ~1 hour.
Garnish with chocolate shavings and serve at room temperature.
Can be made the day before and stored at room temperature. Freezes well.