Flourless Chocolate Cake – Daring Bakers Challenge

Chocolate Cake Valentino

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE‘s blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef. We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

I have to confess that I was half-daring this time: I only made the cake and skipped the ice cream. Since I don’t have an ice cream maker and since making ice cream by hand seemed such a leanghy and time-consuming process, I didn’t make any ice cream. I used store-bought instead. This is how I am officially a half-daring baker this time.

As to my experience with the cake, I loved both making it and devouring it. The cake was super easy to make. It was rich and dense.  Topped with ice-cream, flourless chocolate cake was pure delight.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE
Recipe from Sweet Treats by Chef Wan

Preparation Time:  20 minutes

16 ounces (1 pound) (454 grams) of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons (146 grams total) of unsalted butter
5 large eggs separated

-Equipment – it is optional to use a heart shaped pan. For a real Valentino, bake it in a heart shaped pan or cut it out into a heart shape. You may use any shape pan that gives you an area of 50” – 6×8 or 7×7.  An 8” spring form pan works with great results as do smaller pans or ramekins.

Note on recipe – the recipe consists of 3 simple ingredients and how you interpret them is part of the challenge. The simplicity of this recipe gives credit to the ingredients much in the same way of French baguette.
-This recipe comes together very quickly with a hand mixer.
-This is a very decadent cake that will sink a little as it cools but will still hold its shape.
-Very dense and fudgy cake that tastes divine.
-The top forms a light crust kind of like a brownie

Method

1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.

2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.

3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.

4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).

5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.

6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.

7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter.

8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C

9. Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C. If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.

10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold. Serve with your favorite ice cream.

35 Comments

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  1. hi hi Hal-daring 🙂 But the cake looks soo rich! What chocolate did you use? your cake is so much darker than mine. i think I should change the brand I use.

  2. Merhaba abla! I too haven’t made the ice-cream! Look at that melted chocolate! I almost licked it off my monitor! *hugs*

  3. Yes, this was an easy, but tasty challenge…your cake looks good 🙂

  4. Never heard about a flourless cake before. But this one seems just amazing! I love the idea of ice cream with this cake.

  5. Let me know how the taste will be instead of flourles. Love to try it. Ur photos looks inviting…

  6. Looks delicious! Did it melt in your mouth?

  7. Yes, this was an easy and very tasty (chocolate, naturally) cake. Though I’d rather not be reminded of my DB Frech bread episode.:)

    Making ice-cream by hand isn’t all that difficult, Farida. I don’t have an ice-cream maker but make ice-cream frequently. Just give it a go once.

  8. I bet you enjoyed every bite of this cake
    right Farida

  9. Cake looks awesome dear! I think it must be moist too since it is flourless

  10. Looks wonderful Farida, Thanks for sharing:-)
    X M

  11. farida, this looks like one fab-tastic gooey, moist, so decadently good chocolate cake. only thing is i’m now depressed as I’m on lent….:( xxx

  12. Delectable, ooey-gooey & most delicous Farida!

  13. Nice step-by-step pictures! Your cake turned out great!

  14. Looks great Farida! I loved this challenge too! Super yummy!

  15. Great work Farida, as usual! Love the step by step phot0s.

  16. Great job Farida, gorgeous looking cake 🙂

  17. Oh my goodness this looks wonderful Farida!!

    Rosie x

  18. Easy and oh so tasty! Especially when they look like yours.

  19. Oh Fari, please put me down for two servings!

  20. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS!

    It was a fun, easy and delicious challenge though with tons of calories:)

    APARNA: I will try making ice cream one day. I hope it turns out delicious.

    MARIJA: I used Trader Joe’s Semi-sweet chocolate. Trader Joe is a small chain grocery store here.

  21. beautiful cake!!! flourless cakes are always richer and more melt-in-your-mouth than the ones with flour.

  22. Hi Farida,

    I have made flourless chocolate cake before (check my website) and it is to die for. Yours looks velvety smooth and rich. I also find making ice cream without an ice cream maker tedious.

  23. I think I may like it without flour! I made chocolate cake the other night, but it did have flour. Too much of it. This looks good.

  24. There is nothing like a good flourless chocolate cake. So satisfying!

  25. Damn, that looks moist and rich!

  26. I have never made a flourless cake before.. but really of the daring chellenges before this one looks like something I might dare to try:-) ur cake looks great Farida.

  27. I seriously need to make this cake. I shouldn`t read your blog while I`m on a diet! I think I`m gaining weight just looking at the monitor!

  28. Hi Farida,

    ur cake looks great !!!!!!!!

  29. !!!!!!!! Delicious!!!!! I couldnt imagine what it would taste like w/o flour, but it was sooo good i finished it up almost alone in 2 days! Very easy, very yummy! Thumbs up for the recipe! And thanks for great recipes!

  30. Had this at a dinner party over the weekend. Lovely, but a bit too “rich” for me personally. However it was a hit with the other guests.

  31. Oh, Farida, I have just come acroos this recipe. It seems so easy and delicious !

  32. Farida,
    I made this cake on the weekend for my hubby. I divided the ingredients in half and I added some confectioner’s sugar in yolks. It turned out so chocolatey and moist inside with a little crunchy crust.

  33. oh my goodness. this looks delicious

  34. I made today for a dinner party and it was perfect. easy to make and tasted like a desert that you would get in a fine restaurant.
    I served with Ice cream and added a strawberry.

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