THE Flourless Chocolate Cake

I used to make this for every party I attended until I used my stand mixer instead of my hand mixer and it turned out too airy. It's been eight years! To use a hand mixer (electric, of course) you have to prop it up on a stack of cookbooks with beaters in the bowl so you don't have to stand there holding the mixer for the full five minutes. You must follow this recipe exactly to get the right result. The only thing you can change is the ratio of chocolate. Use the best quality you can find...I use 8 oz of semisweet and 8 oz of bittersweet to get the right dark flavor I like. Top with homemade whipped cream and a sprinkle of powdered sugar.


Also, don't cheat and eat it the day you make it. It really needs to firm up overnight in the fridge for texture and so the flavors can intensify. The picture below is a piece that hadn't set all the way because my husband COULD NOT WAIT! It's his favorite dessert.

THE Flourless Chocolate Cake
adapted from Cooks Illustrated


INGREDIENTS

• • 8 large eggs , cold
  • 1 pound bittersweet chocolate or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1/2 pound unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into 1/2-inch chunks
  • 1/4 cup strong coffee or liqueur (optional)
  • Confectioners' sugar or cocoa powder for decoration

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INSTRUCTIONS

• 1. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line bottom of 8-inch springform pan with parchment and grease pan sides. Cover pan underneath and along sides with sheet of heavy-duty foil and set in large roasting pan. Bring kettle of water to boil.
  2. Beat eggs with hand-held mixer at high speed until volume doubles to approximately 1 quart, about 5 minutes. 
  3. Meanwhile, melt chocolate and butter (adding coffee or liqueur, if using) in large heat-proof bowl set over pan of almost simmering water, until smooth and very warm (about 115 degrees on an instant-read thermometer), stirring once or twice. (For the microwave, melt chocolate and butter together at 50 percent power until smooth and warm, 4 to 6 minutes, stirring once or twice.) Fold 1/3 of egg foam into chocolate mixture using large rubber spatula until only a few streaks of egg are visible; fold in half of remaining foam, then last of remaining foam, until mixture is totally homogenous.
  4. Scrape batter into prepared springform pan and smooth surface with rubber spatula. Set roasting pan on oven rack and pour enough boiling water to come about halfway up side of springform pan. Bake until cake has risen slightly, edges are just beginning to set, a thin glazed crust (like a brownie) has formed on surface, and an instant read thermometer inserted halfway through center of cake registers 140 degrees, 22 to 25 minutes or 18 to 20 minutes for a 9 inch springform pan. Remove cake pan from water bath and set on wire rack; cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight to mellow (can be covered and refrigerated for up to 4 days).
  5. About 30 minutes before serving, remove springform pan sides, invert cake on sheet of waxed paper, peel off parchment pan liner, and turn cake right side up on serving platter. Sieve light sprinkling of Confectioners’ sugar or unsweetened cocoa powder over cake to decorate, if desired.