Flourless chocolate cake became my obsession in the bustling kitchen of a gourmet restaurant where I worked in the early 90s. I was fascinated by the dense but creamy texture as well as the deep, dark fudgy flavour of this masterpiece. I experimented with different chocolates, sweeteners, number of eggs, and flavourings until I found the perfect combination. This should be the cake you serve when impressing and spoiling your guests is the goal. You might never use flour again.
Flavour boost
Chocolate and coffee are a popular pairing because the bitterness and sweetness creates an incredible richness. Stir 1 Tbsp (15 mL) espresso powder into the water along with sugar and salt. Then follow the remaining steps as written.
Excerpted from The Easy 5-Ingredient Pescatarian Cookbook: Simple Recipes for Delicious, Heart-Healthy Meals, by Andy DeSantis RD MPH and Michelle Anderson, published by Rockridge Press. Copyright © 2019 by Callisto Media. All rights reserved.
Ingredients
1/2 cup (125 mL) water
1/2 cup (125 mL) coconut sugar or granulated sugar
1/8 tsp (0.5 mL) sea salt
1 1/4 lbs (567 g) bittersweet chocolate (containing at least 70% cacao), roughly chopped
1 cup (250 mL) salted butter, cut into 1 in (2.5 cm) cubes, plus more for greasing pan
7 organic eggs
2 tsp (10 mL) pure vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 300 F (150 C). Grease a 9 in (23 cm) round springform pan and set pan on a piece of foil. Fold foil up the outside of the pan, forming a waterproof layer. Set aside.
In small saucepan, combine water, sugar, and salt over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar is completely dissolved. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
In large bowl over a medium saucepan of simmering water, place chocolate and stir until chocolate has melted. Remove chocolate from heat and, with hand beater on medium speed, beat in butter (one cube at a time) until well blended. Beat sugar mixture and eggs (one at a time) at medium speed. Add vanilla, and beat until smooth.
Pour batter into prepared springform pan and place pan into a larger pan. Pour boiling water into the larger pan until it reaches 1 in (2.5 cm) up sides of springform pan. Bake cake until edges are firm, about 45 minutes. Remove cake from oven and let cool on rack.
Chill cake in refrigerator overnight. Remove from springform pan until ready to serve.
Each serving contains: 416 calories; 30 g total fat (19 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat); 40 g carbohydrates (20 g sugars, 3 g fibre); 192 mg sodium
Source: Book review: The Easy 5-Ingredient Pescatarian Cookbook
