These Flourless Chocolate Cakes are made with whipped cream and a few other ingredients. The recipe is based on one from Alfred Portale's Gotham Bar and Grill Cookbook, but I've made some changes including scaling it down so it can be quickly prepared and baked in two 4 inch mini springform pan. So yes, that's the catch. You'll need a couple of mini springforms. Here's a link to the ones I use.
Stand Mixer vs Handheld
In the directions I say to use a stand mixer, but a handheld mixer should work just as well so long as you are willing to be patient and beat the egg/sugar mixture for a good 2-3 minutes. In fact, a handheld mixer might work even better because you can beat the hot egg & sugar mixture right in the double boiler pan, clean the beater and move on to the whip cream.
Flourless Chocolate Cake Serving Size
This makes two mini springforms, but since these are very rich you might be able to serve four.
Recipe
Amazing Flourless Chocolate Cake Made With Whipped Cream
Ingredients
- 4 oz high-quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (114 grams)
- .75 ounces high-quality unsweetened chocolate, chopped (21 grams)
- 2 ½ tablespoons strong brewed coffee
- 1 large egg plus 2 tablespoons lightly beaten egg
- 3 T. sugar (36 grams)
- ¼ cup heavy cream (56 grams)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter insides of 2 mini springform pans (4 inch size) and line bottoms with circles of parchment paper.
- Melt chocolate with coffee in a small microwave-safe bowl. Start on high for 30 seconds. Stir and repeat until chocolate is melted and smooth. Set aside. For the next step you can use either a double boiler or a bowl that fits over a saucepan of water, such as a stand mixer bowl.
- NO DOUBLE BOILER METHOD: Whisk sugar and egg together in a metal stand-mixer bowl or any heatproof bowl you can set over boiling water. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering, not boiling, water, and whisk until mixture is warm to the touch and sugar is dissolved – make sure not to cook the mixture! Put on mixer stand and beat at medium speed until light and almost tripled in volume. This could take anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes. The goal is to lighten it.
- IF YOU HAVE A DOUBLE BOILER skip the stand mixer and just heat the sugar and egg in the top of a double boiler. Use a handheld electric mixer to beat the hot sugar & egg mixture until light.
- In chilled bowl, beat cream just past the soft-peak stage. Fold together a quarter of the egg mixture with the chocolate mixture to lighten, then fold chocolate mixture back into remaining egg mixture. Fold in whipped cream. Transfer to prepared pans, smooth top, and tap filled pans lightly on work surface a few times to settle any air pockets.
- Place springform pans in 9 inch baking pan. Add enough hot water to baking pan to come halfway up sides of the springform pans. Bake 30 minutes. Open oven door 30 seconds to release any excess moisture that builds in oven. Continue baking until center of cake feels somewhat firm when pressed lightly with your fingers, another 15-20 minutes. Remove cakes from oven and let cool at room temperature (note, if baking the larger cakes you cool them in the closed oven for two hours).
- Run a warm knife around inside of pans, and carefully remove from pans. Transfer to refrigerator and chill until very firm. Wrap in plastic wrap and keep chilled until ready to serve
- Remove cakes from refrigerator and return to room temperature. At least 1 hour before serving, preheat oven to its lowest setting. If you have just used the oven, turn it off. Unwrap cakes and set on oven proof serving plates. Warm them in the oven for about 20-30 minutes or until they are warm throughout.
Carol A,
Oh man does this look good. I love this kind of cake and this looks like a fantastic version. Thanks for providing a small-batch version!
Anna
Karen, it's hard to say. My total bake time for the 3 inch cheesecake pans was about 48 minutes, but they are made of metal and have a larger open surface area. If I were experimenting with ramekins I would probably bake for 25 minutes, open the oven for 30 seconds as the recipe instructs, then cook for another 12 minutes. Luckily, it's fairly easy to tell when they're done. The chocolate starts to really smell and the center firms up.
Karen
How long would you bake these in individual ramekins? I have some heart shape ones I want to use.
Jennifer
This looks soooo great!!! I love the flour-less part of it especially! I can just imagine how rich and lovely this is! 🙂
Elyse
Off-the-charts good sounds right up my alley. I'm a huge fan of any chocolate dessert--the less flour, the better. I can't wait to try these! (And I'll remember your advice to use a warm knife!)
Karen
I'm gonna save this one for Passover, looks perfect. I am always searching for a great flourless chocolate cake.
Anna
Louise, thanks for the link to Emeril's cake. His recipes are usually very good.
Cathy and Veggiegirl, this is one that really stood out from the rest.
Lisa, let me know how your recipe turns out.
Jason, I used regular brewed coffee so the coffee flavor was very subtle. I do need to try Gotham! Every time I go to New York, someone recommends it. For some reason, I just haven't made it there yet.
Katrina, I wouldn't describe the center as gooey. It's kind of like a warm chocolate truffle in cake form.
Katrina
Theresa B.--possibly TMI! 😉
Anna, Stinkin' Yum! This kind of cake, Kevin does like! Is the middle gooey, or is it all baked but served war?. Can't tell from the picture. Will have to try this one, but it won't be tomorrow.
Therese B.
Who said chocolate is better than sex? Okay, that person is flipping mad!...but, sex and this dessert...THIS would take me to the moon and back again!!
YUM!!
snooky doodle
dangerously delicious 🙂
Jason
I feel like the addition of coffee must really make it. I might just make this. And yes Anna you have to go to Gotham—their weekday lunch deal is great in case you're pressed for time.
Lisa Ernst
We're thinking along the same lines here! I've already got a flourless chocolate cake recipe lined up for tomorrow, but I'll have to save this one for the next time. I'm doing pretty much the same thing -- cutting a regular recipe down by half and using two small springform pans. (The pans I have measure 4 1/2 inches across but aren't very tall.)
VeggieGirl
Lovely cake!!
Cathy - wheresmydamnanswer
I love flourless cake when it is made right it is incredible - Your recipe looks so yummy.
Louise
Funny you made this as this morning I was going to suggest Emeril's recipe that is on today's ABC site. http://www.abcnews.go.com/GMA/Recipes/story?id=6868399 It's his flourless chocolate cake. It looks like it would be easily scalable. Emeril makes a killer chocolate cheesecake with fresh raspberries too. It's in one of his books.