There are certain recipes that stay with you. They follow you throughout your life and when you return to them, it’s like visiting an old friend. That’s how it is with this flourless chocolate cake that I first made for my playwriting thesis class (taught by Pulitzer Prize-winner Marsha Norman) at NYU’s Tisch School of Dramatic Writing. As I like to joke, Marsha preferred my baking to my dramaturgy.
I’m resurrecting this recipe for Valentine’s Day because it’s such a cinch to make and it always dazzles. In fact, the recipe is so easy, I can recite it now from memory. Take two sticks of unsalted butter, cut them into pieces, and place them in a double boiler with two bars (8 ounces) of bittersweet chocolate. I like Scharffen Berger, Valhrona, or Ghiardelli.
Once melted, add 1 1/2 cups of sugar and a big pinch of salt. (The big pinch of salt is my addition, but I can’t believe any cake recipe wouldn’t have salt in it.) Whisk that together, then add six eggs one at a time. It’ll get harder to whisk with each egg. Finally, sift in 1 cup of cocoa powder (again, I like Valhrona) with 1 teaspoon of instant espresso powder (adds more flavor) and whisk that just until incorporated.
Spray a 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray, line with parchment, then spray again. Pour your batter in from a great height to make for a dramatic picture.
Bake in a 350 oven for 35 to 40 minutes (or longer) until a cake tester comes out mostly clean. If there are a few crumbs, great; if it’s sopping wet, keep going. Let it cool for ten minutes, flip out on to a plate, peel off the parchment, then flip on to a baking rack to cool completely.
To finish, place on a cake stand and dust with powdered sugar.
You could stop here, and you would have a very fine dessert indeed. But my suggestion is to take things one step further by hand-whipping some cream when it’s time to serve this up. Sure, you can use your mixer, but imagine the show of virility you’ll display on Valentine’s Day as you single-handedly turn a bowl of liquid into something mostly solid. Plus, it’s easier to clean a bowl and a whisk than your entire KitchenAid mixer.
Hope this cake enters your life the way it’s entered mine. And now, for those who like to skip to the recipe, I’ll write this all out again in a recipe format. An act of love if there ever was one.
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch cake pan with non-stick spray, line it with parchment, then spray again.
- In a double boiler, melt the butter and chocolate, stirring every so often, and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
- Whisk in the sugar and the salt, then whisk in the eggs one at a time. It’ll get harder to whisk with each addition.
- Sift in the cocoa powder and the espresso powder and fold together with a rubber spatula until just incorporated.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out mostly clean (it’s okay if there are crumbs). Cool for ten minutes, flip out on to a plate to remove the parchment, then flip on to a cooling rack. Cool completely. Place on a cake stand and dust with powdered sugar. Serve as-is or, if you care about the people in your life, whip some cream by hand to put on top.
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