Flourless Chocolate Cake ►
The trick with this flourless cake is undercooking it slightly. It comes to the table hot from the oven, meltingly soft on the inside, with freshly whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and a garnish of candied orange peel.
Ingredients
- Flourless Chocolate Cakes
- Unsalted Butter - 1⁄2 cup (1 stick), cut into pieces
- Pinch of Salt
- Bittersweet Chocolate - 15 ounces, preferably Valrhona, chopped
- Egg Whites - 4
- Sugar - 1⁄2 cup, granulated
- Garnish
- Heavy (Whipping) Cream - 11⁄2 cups
- Confectioners’ Sugar - 1 tablespoon, sifted
- Candied orange peel (optional)
- Chocolate Sauce - 2 cups (see Basics)
Instructions
To make the cakes: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Lightly butter and sugar eight 3-inch disposable aluminum tins, 2 inches deep. In a heavy, large saucepan, melt the butter with the salt over low heat. Add the chocolate and stir over low heat until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Be careful not to burn the chocolate. Let cool to room temperature.
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy, then gradually beat in the sugar until stiff, glossy peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the cooled chocolate. Do not overmix or the batter will lose volume. Fill a pastry bag with batter and pipe into the tins, filling each just over half full. Bake for 4 to 5 minutes. (It’s important that the cakes are baked just before serving so the texture is correct. However, they can be made ahead and frozen before baking. Remove from freezer at least 1 hour before baking.)
To serve: In a deep bowl, whip the cream with the confectioners’ sugar until stiff peaks form. Fill a pastry bag fitted with a star tip and pipe rosettes of the cream around the outer circle of the plates. Cut the orange peel into 1-inch strips and place two pieces criss-crossed between the rosettes, if you like. Turn the warm cakes out into the center of the plates and pour chocolate sauce over the top and around the sides.
