Print | Back | November 26, 2013 |
Cooking with Joni Flourless Chocolate Cakeby Joni Hilton |
The holidays are upon us. And, while most people enjoy pumpkin and a few other favorite pies at Thanksgiving, you can never go wrong with a decadent, chocolate confection, thrown into the mix for a little variety.
It's especially fun to bring one if you're the guest. And with today's rising gluten-intolerant crowd, you will be doubly loved for bringing this marvelous, flourless cake that I adapted from a “Bon Apetit” recipe. Dense and moist, it's always a hit.
And when Christmas comes, you can sprinkle it with some finely crushed peppermints. Here's one I just made. Notice the glaze dripping down onto the platter. I am cool with this.
12 oz. semisweet chocolate (bars or chips)
3/4 Cup butter
6 eggs, separated
6 oz. sugar, divided (12 Tbsp.)
2 tsp. vanilla or almond extract
TOPPING:
1/2 Cup corn syrup
1/2 Cup heavy whipping cream
9 oz. semisweet chocolate
Optional garnishes: Berries, chocolate shavings, chocolate leaves, etc.
1. Preheat
oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with
non-stick spray. Line the bottom with a circle of parchment and
then spray that as well. Wrap the outside of the pan with foil.
In a small sauce pan over low heat, melt chocolate and butter until
smooth. Let cool to lukewarm.
2. In a large bowl, beat yolks
with HALF the sugar (3 oz.), until they're pale yellow and thick,
about 5 minutes. Fold in chocolate mixture and extract.
3. In a separate bowl (use clean, dry beaters), beat egg whites until
frothy. Keep beating as you slowly add the other 3 oz. of
sugar. Beat until peaks form. Fold a little at a time
into chocolate mixture. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 50
minutes, or until a knife inserted in center comes out with a bit of
baked batter on it. Place cake, still in pan, on a cooling rack
until cool. The top will be cracked; don't worry, as this will
be the bottom of the cake. Press down on the cracked parts to
make a level surface.
4. Use a knife to loosen pan edges, then
invert cake onto a serving platter. Remove parchment. In
a medium sauce pan, simmer cream and corn syrup. Remove from
heat and stir in chocolate until smooth. Pour a small amount
over top of cake, smoothing it onto the sides. Freeze 5
minutes. Pour remaining glaze onto cake (I leave most on top,
as you can see), then chill until firm, about an hour. Now you
can store it at room temperature, and garnish it before serving
(serves 10 or more). Or, it's possible people will not be able
to wait for the garnish, and may slice it up and start eating, as you
can see below!
Copyright © 2024 by Joni Hilton | Printed from NauvooTimes.com |