Make Ahead

Simple, Ridiculously Rich Flourless Chocolate Cake

by:
January 25, 2010
0
0 Ratings
  • Cook time 3 hours
  • Serves 1 cake
Author Notes

This is my Mother's favorite cake. It is like a chocolate truffle surrounded by a brownie. I switch between coffee and tea in the flavoring, I find that coffee adds depth and strong earl grey tea adds of whisper of perfume. Not for the faint of heart, it weighs a ton, this cake should be consumed in slivers, but the good news is it lasts forever... can hold a week or two well covered in the fridge and it freezes great. I served it at my restaurant long ago as part of a chocolate plate alongside spicy chocolate truffles, milk chocolate soup & candied grapefruit peels dipped in dark chocolate. At home I usually serve w/ barely sweetened whipped cream with fresh vanilla & a drop of spirit (what ever I have on hand, rum, frangelico etc) and if I'm feeling fancy candied orange or grapefruit peels. —Aliwaks

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 cup best quality butter
  • 1 cup raw sugar
  • 10 ounces Super dark (72% or more) chocolate, chopped
  • 6 ounces semi sweet or regular dark chocolate , chopped
  • 1 cooled cup dark dark coffee or super strong Earl Grey tea
  • 1 teaspoon good vanilla extract or Tablespoon rum/whiskey/ frangelico, Grand marnier whatever you have
  • 1 tablespoon raw sugar for pan
  • 1 tablespoon or so, butter for pan
Directions
  1. Preheat oven to 350. Place Chocolates & Butter in a clean dry stainless steal bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and set over pot of boiling water (alternatively if you have a double boiler you could use that) till melted.
  2. In stand mixer, whip together eggs, sugar & vanilla until light yellow and fluffy.
  3. Prepare deep spring form pan, cut a round of parchment to fit the bottom, smear butter on parchment and stick in bottom of pan, butter surface area of pan and add in tablespoon of sugar (much as you would flour) swirl around until sugar coats entire area, cover outside bottom of pan with heavy duty foil.
  4. Once chocolate/butter is melted whisk to combine.
  5. In a smaller bowl take about cup of egg/sugar and slowly temper in about 1/4 cup of chocolate/butter..add this back to egg/sugar and slowly whisk in remaining chocolate/butter mix till well combined.
  6. Whisk in coffee or tea. The mixture will be very liquidy, sort of like a melted milkshake.
  7. Carefully pour batter in to pan, set pan on a sheet tray and pop in oven (centered on the middle rack).
  8. Bake an hour or more, rotating if you have a finicky oven, it will puff up then fall, the cake is ready when toothpick or wooden skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  9. Cool completely before serving. Best when refridgerated for a bit (a day or so), then brought to room temp before serving. It is a totally different cake at room temp, soft and lush, when cold it is more solid, still good but not as sensual. Excellent cake for a dinner party as can be made a day or two or three ahead of time. Lovely with espresso or glass of Banyuls or Ruby Port.
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9 Reviews

Tarta
Tarta March 27, 2016
It turns out that I did the most ridiculous thing and made coffee in my coffee mug ( I took it literally and made a strong "cup of coffee.") and poured the whole thing into the batter. So, instead of 1 cup of coffee, I used over 2 cups. Whoops!
 
Tarta
Tarta March 26, 2016
My oven runs at a normal temperature. This cake took almost 2 hours to bake! I think the problem was that the recipe doesn't say what size the Springform pan should be? I used a 9". Maybe this was the wrong size....
 
Wicko
Wicko January 19, 2015
I've had my eye on this recipe for awhile and finally made it for a dinner party. It was completely delicious and simple to make. Served it with a blood orange coulis. Served 11 people with half of it left!
 
Aliwaks
Aliwaks January 19, 2015
So happy you like it...it makes so much cake!!! It freezes really really well and if you separate in to slices you can indulge in little pieces every so often.
 
Gardener-cook
Gardener-cook January 8, 2014
Love, love, love this cake. It's also possible to make a low-carb version with Just Like Sugar, which isn't as good but allows low-carb friends to get in on the fun.
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames January 25, 2010
Earl Grey tea! Wow, that's an inspiration. It's amazing though that it can be "heard" through all that dark chocolate. Love the image, by the way, of a truffle surrounded by a brownie. "Ridiculously rich" . . . yes, I'm sure it is!! ;o)
 
Aliwaks
Aliwaks January 25, 2010
You have to make it really strong, like 4 teabags worth, I've also ground some leave really really fine and added them directly to the batter
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames January 25, 2010
Oh, I see. How many days until you can get to sleep, after eating this? Just kidding . . . . I'm getting jittery just reading the recipe and these comments!! ;o)
 
AntoniaJames
AntoniaJames January 25, 2010
P.S. I concur with the recommendation to enjoy this with Ruby Port . . . . a really tasty, luscious Port.