Description
A rich, flavorful, elegant chocolate cake that's flourless and gluten-free. A great Special Occasion cake.
Recipe compliments of Susan Axelrod, from her book Love and Quiches.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped or broken into pieces
- 8 tablespoons butter, sweet-unsalted (1 stick) softened
- 1/4 cup ground almonds (I used my mini food-processor)
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon strong brewed coffee or espresso
- 6 eggs, separated and at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon rum
- 3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- Confectioner's sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF. Prepare an 8 or 9-inch springform pan by wrapping the bottom with a double layer of tinfoil, sealing the bottom well. Butter the inside of the pan and line the bottom with buttered parchment paper. Set aside.
- Melt chocolate & 1 stick of butter, using a double boiler or the microwave, being careful not to boil or burn the mixture. For more about melting chocolate here's a great tutorial on how to melt chocolate from Fine Cooking.
- With a rubber spatula, fold almonds, cocoa, salt and coffee into the melted chocolate and butter mixture. Set aside.
- In a separate deep bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar and rum until they thicken and ribbon, and are creamy and light in color (about 3 minutes whisking by hand) Then gently fold in the chocolate mixture, being careful not to deflate the egg mixture.
- Meanwhile, with an eggbeater or in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff but not dry. Fold the whites gently into the chocolate mixture, being careful not to deflate the whites. The mixture should remain soufflé-like in texture.
- Gently transfer the batter into the prepared springform pan. Set the pan on a cookie sheet and bake it in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven. Don't worry if it appears a bit wobbly and undercooked in the center. The cake will continue to cook and firm up as it cools. Once it has cooled to room temperature, tent with foil and refrigerate, still in the pan, for a few hours to aid in the unmolding process.
- About 30 minutes before serving, run a thin knife between the sides of the pan. Carefully unmold and remove parchment paper. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle with confectioner's sugar, and serve at room temperature.
- Suggested accompaniments: whipped cream, vanilla or coffee ice cream, Crème fraîche, berries.
Notes
[This post first appeared on Panning The Globe in May 2014. It was updated in June 2020 with new photos, a few tweaks to the written post, and added nutritional information.]
- Prep Time: 40 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American