Is there any dessert more universally crowd-pleasing than a flourless chocolate cake? I think not. It’s dense. It’s chocolate-y. It feels fancy. It’s naturally gluten-free. You can top/decorate/garnish it however you want. Truly, the possibilities are endless.
The very first flourless chocolate cake I made was with my cousin Meg. I don’t quite remember why, but we were spending the night at the home of some of her friends and watching Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food documentary on PBS when the craving hit. Since you need very few ingredients for a flourless chocolate cake, we had everything we needed in the kitchen so we sauntered in and very lazily stirred together melted chocolate, butter, sugar, and lots of eggs. An hour later, we were spooning warm, gooey chocolate cake into our mouths, melted ice cream dripping off the sides of the plate.
I went home (to Nashville at the time) and made flourless chocolate cake at least 4 more times that month. I was hooked. And I’ve made it many, many more times since then.
a great flourless chocolate cake
My favorite flourless chocolate cake has two defining characteristics: a dense, fudgey center, and a crackly, sunken crust/top. The key to both of these qualities is eggs.
Lots of egg yolks provide extra fat and emulsion to the batter. Essentially, the base of the batter consists of chocolate (fat + sugar), egg yolks (fat), sugar (sugar, obv) , and butter (fat). Fat and sugar are a creamy, dreamy, match made in heaven.
The crackly crust comes from the other half of the eggs—the whites. Whipping the egg whites with the sugar a la meringue style traps the sugar in pockets of air, while the proteins in the egg whites unfurl to create structure. This meringue gets folded into the dense batter and when baked, those pockets of air contribute to the rise (and then the fall), while the proteins and sugar create that crunchy, crisp crust similar to a pavlova.
the toppings
Dark berries pair really beautifully with dark chocolate. For this batch, I simmered some on-their-last-leg blackberries and blueberries with a little sugar and a little lemon juice, just until broken down and syrupy. I love keeping the leftover in the fridge for spooning over pancakes or ice cream. You could do all blueberries, all blackberries, or a mix like I did or even some dark cherries once they start popping up on your store shelves.
A bright tart, whipped crème fraîche rounds the whole thing out. Measure the powdered sugar with your heart to adjust to your preferred sweetness level. You could also sub sour cream or mascarpone for the crème fraîche and keep that great tart flavor. I do, however, recommend whipping by hand for the fluffy, soft peaks. It’s a bit of a workout, but it’s worth it.
Flourless Chocolate Cake with Berries and Whipped Crème Fraîche
makes: one 9” cake
Ingredients:
for the flourless chocolate cake
8 oz (226 g) chopped dark chocolate
3/4 cup (165 g) unsalted butter, cubed
1/2 cup (106 g) brown sugar
1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
4 tbsp (1.5 oz) brewed espresso
4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup (45 g) cocoa powder, SIFTED!
3/4 tsp kosher salt
for the simmered berries
10 oz berries (black berries, blueberries, raspberries)
1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
Juice of one small lemon
for the whipped crème fraîche:
4 oz crème fraîche
2.5 oz (70 g) heavy cream
30 g (1/4 cup) powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
Procedure:
Preheat the oven to 350° and line a 9” springform pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, heat chopped chocolate and butter until smooth and completely melted. Remove from heat and whisk in the brown sugar. Let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
Add the egg yolks, one at a time, whisking until smooth and homogenous, followed by the espresso.
Sift in the cocoa powder and then add the salt and gently fold until no dry streaks remain.
Meanwhile, place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-low speed until frothy, and then stream in the granulated sugar and increase the speed to medium high. Whip until smooth and glossy and soft peaks form.
Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture until completely incorporated and the batter is all one color.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is set and dry. Let cool completely in the pan.
While the cake is baking, make the simmered berries. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, until berries are soft and sauce is bubbly. Cool completely.
When you’re ready to serve, make the whipped crème fraîche. Combine the crème fraîche and heavy cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Sift in the powdered sugar and add the vanilla and salt. Whip on medium speed until soft peaks form.
To serve, top each slice of cake with a dollop of whipped crème fraîche and a spoonful of berries.