Happy birthday to one of the kindest people I know–my neighbor Gene.
Gene, a retired high school science teacher, avid gardener and gourmand, is a loyal a supporter of this blog. He also is celebrating his 87th birthday this month. Way to go, Gene!
Gene is a part of an awesome duo–Gene and Sarah. They are neighbors who have had my back on any number of occasions. They help me run Blue Cayenne by willingly taste testing my cooking experiments–even when the going gets tough and I yield to my wild experimental side. (I haven’t told them yet that I’m exploring jackfruit recipes.)
So it was only natural to celebrate Gene’s birthday with a special cake.
This flourless chocolate cake is elegant and chocolatey beyond your wildest dreams.
It’s just right for a really good friend.
Gene's Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- For the cake
- 1 C. semisweet chocolate chips (I used Callebaut and it was wonderful.)
- 1/2 C. unsalted butter
- 3/4 C. granulated sugar
- 1/4 t. salt
- 1 to 2 t. espresso powder (I used 2!)
- 1 t. vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 C. Dutch-process cocoa powder
- For the glaze
- 1 C. semisweet chocolate chips (Again, I used Callebaut.)
- 1/2 C. heavy cream
- Chopped pecans
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F and prepare an 8-inch round cake pan by buttering it and lining it with parchment.
- Step 2 Combine chocolate chips and butter in a glass bowl (I used a large glass measuring cup.) and heat briefly (watch it!) in the microwave until the butter is melted and the chips are soft. Remove from the microwave and stir the butter and chocolate until the chips have totally melted. If you need to, you can reheat for a few seconds in the microwave to totally melt the chips.
- Step 3 Put your melted butter/chocolate into a mixing bowl and add sugar, salt, espresso powder and vanilla. (I put the ingredients into the bowl of my Kitchen Aid mixer and used the paddle attachment to mix everything together.) Stir to combine.
- Step 4 Add eggs and beat until smooth. Add the cocoa powder and mix just until ingredients are combined.
- Step 5 Put the batter into your prepared cake pan and bake for 25 minutes. When you cake is done it should have formed a thin crust on the top of the cake and the cake should register at least 200 degrees F. on an instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of the cake.
- Step 6 Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in its pan for 5 minutes.
- Step 7 Once the cake as cooled a bit, use a knife to loosen the edges of the cake from the pan. Turn the cake out onto a serving plate and remove the layer of parchment. Let the cake cool completely before adding the glaze.
- Step 8 While the cake is cooling, make the glaze by combining the chocolate with cream that you have heated until it shows bubbles around the edge. Stir the mixture briefly to combine and let it rest for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, stir again until the chocolate is totally melted and the mixture is smooth. If your chocolate does not completely melt, you can return it to the microwave briefly and then stir again until smooth.
- Step 9 Drizzle the glaze over your cooled cake, spreading it on the cake with a spatula. Let the cake set for several hours for the glaze to set before serving.
- Step 10 I chopped pecans in my food processor and pressed them into the side of the cake while the glaze was cooling.
The recipe is adapted from on that appears on the King Arthur Flour site. You can find the original recipe here.
2 thoughts on “Flourless Chocolate Cake and a Happy Birthday Wish To A Good Friend”