Author Notes
This is one of the easiest desserts I've ever made. The recipe is a little quirky, and you must follow it to the letter, or you'll lose the sinful truffle texture that results.
What a marvelous cake to have in your repertoire! It takes no longer to make two or three than it does to make one. It's a good idea to make multiples since not only is it utterly delicious, but you can keep it (when properly wrapped) up to 4 months in your freezer. [I know this is so because I "found" one in my freezer after that long, and served it successfully.
The smarty-pants trick that ensures the truffley goodness of this cake is you MUST include the 1 1/2 teaspoons of flour in the recipe. You can use regular all-purpose flour, or go gluten free with chestnut or garbanzo bean flour, like I do, but don't leave it out. —ChefJune
Ingredients
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16 ounces
best quality semisweet chocolate
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1/2 cup
unsalted butter
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1 1/2 teaspoons
garbanzo bean flour
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1 teaspoon
hot water
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4
large eggs, separated
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1 1/2 teaspoons
superfine sugar (you can whirl it in your food processor)
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1/8 teaspoon
fine sea salt
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Whipped cream for topping
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Unsweetened cocoa for topping
Directions
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Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease the bottom (only) of an 8-inch springform pan. (Yes, it must be 8-inches.)
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Melt chocolate and butter in the top of double boiler over simmering water. When melted, transfer into a bowl, and add flour, water, and blend well. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating after each addition.
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Beat egg whites until very frothy. Add the sugar and continue beating until they are stiff and shiny, but not dry. Fold into the chocolate mixture.
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Pour into pan and bake for 15 minutes, ONLY! The cake will look very undone in the center.
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4. Cool. Whip cream until soft peaks form. Spread a very thick layer over top of cake, smoothing with spatula. Shake unsweetened cocoa through a sieve over the whipped cream. Use a doily to make a design on the whipped cream if you wish. Cut the cake while cold, but let it stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes before serving.
30+ years a chef, educator, writer, consultant, "winie," travel guide/coordinator
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