Flourless Chocolate Cake

I don’t think this recipe is actually Southern,

but it is definitely comfort food for those of us who love chocolate.

Another interesting fact, to me at least,

is that I found the recipe on the King Arthur Flour website.

You will note it uses no flour.

Servings: 8-12 servings

Difficulty: Easy

Cake Ingredients:

1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 to 2 teaspoons espresso powder (optional) There seems to be a lot of debate about what espresso powder really is. One baker ordered it from Amazon. I used coffee beans, ground up extra-fine.

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

3 large eggs

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch process

Glaze Ingredients:

1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease a metal 8 inch round pan. Cut a piece of parchment to fit, grease it, and lay it in the bottom of the pan, greased side up.

To make the cake: Put the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until the butter is melted and the chips are soft. Stir until the chips melt, reheating briefly if necessary. You can also do this over a burner set at very low heat. Transfer the melted chocolate/butter to a mixing bowl.

Stir in the sugar, salt, espresso powder, and vanilla. (Espresso enhances the chocolate flavor much as vanilla does. Using one teaspoon will simply enhance the flavor, while 2 teaspoons will lend a hint of mocha to the cake.)

Add the eggs, beating briefly until smooth. Add the cocoa powder, and mix just to combine.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

Bake the cake for 25 minutes. The top will have formed a thin crust, and it should register at least 200 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into its center. (While overcooking the cake doesn’t do much harm, undercooking it will leave you with soupy glop in the middle—you do need a thermometer check.)

Remove it from the oven and cool it in the pan for 5 minutes.

Loosen the edges of the pan with a table knife or nylon spreader and turn it out onto a serving plate. The top will now be on the bottom. That’s fine. Also, the edges will crumble a bit, which is also fine. Allow the cake to cool completely before glazing.

To make the glaze: Combine the chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until the cream is very hot but not simmering. Remove from the microwave and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is completely smooth.

Spoon the glaze over the cake, spreading it to drip over the sides a bit. Allow the glaze to set for several hours before serving the cake.