I’m no baker. All that measuring and sifting and waiting for the butter to get to just the right temperature…give me a recipe I can muck around in, any day.
However.
This cake…!
It is insanely, insanely good. AND since I made it, hard to mess up.
Smitten Kitchen’s Flourless Chocolate Cake
- 6 tablespoons butter (doesn’t matter the temperature!)
- 4 oz semisweet chocolate
- 3 eggs, yolks separated from whites
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- pinch ground cinnamon
- topping: a pinch powdered sugar, berries, and homemade whipping cream – about 1/3 cup whipping cream whipped with a tablespoon or so powdered sugar,
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a small round pan (6 or 8 inches) with a circle of parchment paper and grease with butter or canola oil, generously.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in the chocolate, melting it as well. Set aside and let cool until lukewarm.
- Beat egg yolks, brown sugar and vanilla together with an electric mixer until the mixture thickens (it’ll be a gross yellow color). Slowly add in the cooled chocolate/butter combo and mix thoroughly, until very thick.
- Wash and clean the beaters, and in a separate bowl, beat egg whites and salt until peaks form – add a pinch cinnamon if you like. Stir about 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture, and then slowly and gently fold the rest in. The batter should be nice and light. Pour into the pan and bake for about 20 minutes if using an 8 inch pan and about 25 if using a 6 inch pan. The center will be nice and puffy…and will quickly deflate when you remove it from the oven.
- Let the cake cool sufficiently and then flip it out on to another plate. Sprinkle a tiny amount of powdered sugar over the top and serve with whipped cream and berries – and maybe a pinch of cracked salt. Consider yourself a culinary genius.
The Verdict:
Well, now everyone knows what they’re getting on their birthday from me.
DINNER CHEZ NOUS 
The only time I had a flourless chocolate cake was on my honeymoon (it was essentially a Nutella-like flourless cake) and I really need to try my hand at making this at home even though I’m not much of a baker myself. It certainly looks straightforward and delicious!
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omg, adding nutella to THIS cake – now you’re talking!!
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Ugh I hate baking, too. I hate having to be so precise! I feel stifled. I need to be FREE in the kitchen! This one I could handle, though.
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i feel like this is one you could sort of play around with, too – maybe adding some coffee? nutella, per above? if you were into the fruit/chocolate combo (i’m still coming around on it), some orange zest?
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