Flourless chocolate cake is the little black dress of desserts. Minimal, simple and universally pleasing, this go-to recipe is a classic. With a short list of ingredients, minus any flour, you can whip this cake up in an hour. It’s a lighter version of my Sinfully Rich Chocolate Cake, which makes it more of an every day cake and a guaranteed hit with children. Serve simply naked or adorned with a dusting of sugar and a scoop of whipped cream.
Flourless Chocolate Cake
With so few ingredients, quality makes a difference. If possible, use a European-style butter such as Lurpak or Plugra and a high quality dark chocolate. I prefer Valrhona or Lindt. Serves 12.
8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
6 eggs, separated
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Preheat oven to 300 F. Butter a 9 inch springform pan. Line the bottom with parchment and butter the parchment. Melt the chocolate and butter together in a double boiler over just-simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and transfer to a large bowl; cool to lukewarm. Whisk in the egg yolks.
Beat egg whites in a bowl of an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add sugar and continue to beat until stiff glossy peaks form. Mix 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate. Gently fold in remaining egg whites. Pour into prepared pan and smooth with a spatula. Bake until edges pull away from the pan, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes clean, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
