Flourless Chocolate Cake

As promised . . . today we have chocolate. Enough of salads!! You are banished for the weekend!!



And what a wonderful way to have chocolate this is! A delicious flourless Chocolate cake that is soooooo moreishly fudgy and wantonly scrumptious . . . you will find yourself sneaking downstairs in the middle of the night just for . . . ONE . . . MORE . . . PIECE!! (Trust me on this.) This was sooooo good, I sent the leftovers home with the missionaries. It was far too dangerous to keep around!



I have made this a bazillion times over the last 10 years. As the personal Chef for an American family down south, this was often on a luncheon menu . . . you know how it goes . . .

♥Ladies who lunch♥♥♥chocolate♥

They go together like peas and carrots!



Believe it or not, as many times as I have baked this cake . . . yesterday was the first time I had ever eaten it myself! Wow . . . was I impressed. This is my new favourite chocolate cake!!!



At the Manor, I usually served it with some homemade raspberry coulis, and it was very good, yes it was . . . but yesterday we just had it plain, with a bit of icing sugar dusted over top . . . oh . . . and . . . um . . . some clotted cream.



I didn't get a picture of it with the clotted cream though . . . once we added that . . . it was quite simply . . . gone! Naturally!! (I can't believe I waited so long to make this for myself!!)

I am assuming this is ok for a gluten free diet as there is no flour, cocoa or leavening in this recipe.

*Flourless Chocolate Cake*
Makes one 9 inch cake
Printable Recipe

There are a lot of versions of this floating around. This is the one I use. When I cheffed at the Manor, this was the one my boss always requested.

8 ounces semi sweet chocolate, chopped into bits
4 ounces of dark chocolate, chopped into bits (you want one that is at least 60% cocoa solids.)
8 ounces butter (1 cup)
9 ounces of caster sugar (about 1 1/4 cups)
6 large free range eggs, separated
Sifted icing sugar to serve

Preheat your oven to 170*C/325*F/ gas mark 3. You will need a 9 inch springform pan. Remove the bottom and then place a large square of parchment paper over this bit. Replace the ring around the bottom and clamp on, making sure that the parchment paper is clamped in place. Butter the paper lined bottom of the pan and the sides. Set aside on a baking tray.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a glass bowl placed over a pan simmering water, without allowing the water to touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir as it melts, until the mixture is completely melted and smooth. Remove from the pan and whisk in the sugar. Pour into a larger bowl and beat in the egg yolks one at a time, beating constantly.

Beat the egg whites until stiff using clean beaters. Fold these into the chocolate mixture, carefully to combine, working gently and not whisking. (You want to keep the mixture airy.) Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour. The cake will rise dramatically and fall drastically when it is removed from the oven. That is ok. It's supposed to happen. Allow to cool to room temperature on the countertop then place in the refrigerator to chill for at least 4 hours before removing the sides of the springform pan.

Dust with icing sugar and cut into wedges to serve.