To start out I used a 9 inch cheesecake pan. A regular cake pan will work just fine, however it is a little easier to transfer at the end being able to remove the sides so they aren't sticking. I still made a parchment paper collar though to help with the sticking.
-- For those who don't know what a parchment paper collar is, basically, it is lining the circumference of the pan with parchment paper to help with sticking or when making soufflés it will help the soufflé stay upright and not be lopsided. For our purposes it is to help with sticking. Tape the ends together using scotch tape will do the job.--
Butter the bottom and sides of the pan generously with butter. I buttered the actual sides of the pan first, then put the parchment paper collar on to help stick it down and stay, then I buttered the parchment paper to make sure I was able to get the cake out.
Next to make the cake. One rule I LIVE by is never microwave chocolate. I can't express this enough. Yes, it may be quicker, but the chances of burning the chocolate and giving it a gloppy texture are so much higher. Take the time to do it the right way and you will never regret it. Experience is a brutal teacher haha. In the end spending a little extra time in the beginning has saved me a lot of extra time in the end.
--Get a pot of water boiling then place a bowl that fits on top. Place the chocolate and butter in the bowl (I use a glass bowl) and stir with a spatula until incorporated.--
When making the egg mixture don't under mix it. This was a huge issue for me when I first started cooking. I was so scared to over mix something I never mixed it enough. Time it if you have to. I know it might seem like it has been mixing a while, but when you actually time it, you will mix it for a lot longer than you would have expected. Don't rely on your sense of time because when you are very focused on just one thing time goes by a lot slower than you would expect! Trust me on this one, it took me forever to learn this. Learn from my mistakes PLEASE! I mixed my egg mixture for around 4 minutes before it go to the level of frothiness that I wanted, and they aren't kidding when they say your mixture should double. So if your mixture hasn't doubled yet KEEP MIXING. Also, it may take a while for the chocolate mixture and the cocoa to mix, so make sure that everything is well incorporated. The finished product should be very smooth. Go ahead, try it and make sure. There should be no lumps are chunks of chocolate. Also, It should taste fairly sweet.
-- I used Ghirardelli 60% bittersweet cocoa with 2 ounces Guittard 64% semisweet cocoa. Depending on what percent cocoa chocolate used your cake will either be more sweet or more bitter, up to you. These chocolate brands are the brands I have found to provide the best results for the price. Chocolate can get very expensive and these brands have fairly good prices for such good quality. For my glaze I also used the Guittard 64%. The cake itself isn't particularly sweet so it is okay to have a sweeter glaze. However, it just depends on if you are more of a dark chocolate fan or not.--
This particular cake is very easy to over bake. Depending on your cake pan and your oven each cake will cook differently, just make sure you keep an eye on it because they don't taste good over baked. Once again, trust me on this... experience. I cooked mine, on the middle rack, for 40 minutes, and I probably could have done 2-3 minutes less. Your toothpick is NOT going to come out clean, so if yours does, I'm sorry to say you over cooked it.
--The edges of the cake should look a little dryer than the center and don't be afraid to insert a toothpick to check because remember we are flipping the cake. If you insert the toothpick it should come out with some cake, but it shouldn't be dripping off; it should be a firm layer.--
The cooling process after you take the cake out is actually very important. Don't take the cake out of the pan right away. When the cake cools the edges shrink slightly so they aren't touching the sides of the pan. This helps a lot when your are transferring the cake onto a pan. When you first take the cake out the edges may not be even, right away (don't worry it isn't too hot) push them down so they are even with the rest of the cake. The sooner you do this the more effective it will be. If the cake is cooled they won't really budge. Don't worry about it too much though, remember the top will actually be the bottom. Pretty smart isn't it?
The transferring process can be somewhat tricky. To make it a little bit smoother really make sure the sides aren't stuck and bang the bottom of the pan a little to get the bottom unstuck. Also I would recommend transferring straight onto the pan you plan to serve it on because this is a very dense cake and very hard to move from one place to another. When I was transferring my cake a part of it got stuck to the pan so it actually cracked. If yours does this as well don't freak out, just kind of piece it back together and stick it together. As you can see below because of the glaze you can't see the crack beneath.
It turned out delicious. It is a very rich cake so the pieces don't have to be huge, but it is very satisfying. The great thing about it is that their aren't a lot of complicated techniques needed. And its okay if you slightly mess something up, like I broke my cake and in the end you couldn't even tell! The recipe instructions are easy to follow and with a few of my tips anyone should be able to do it. Something that would really impress friend and family.
Flourless Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Glaze
Serves twelve generously.
Yields one 9-inch cake.
- For the cake:
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- 12 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (2-1/4 cups
- 6 oz. (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, cut into six pieces; more for the pan
- 5 large eggs
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp. table salt
- 3/4 oz. (1/4 cup) unsweetened natural cocoa powder, sifted if lumpy; more for the pan
For the glaze:
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- 4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (3/4 cup)
- 1-1/2 oz. (3 Tbs.) unsalted butter
Make the Cake:
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Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 300°F. Lightly butter the bottom of a 9x2-inch round cake pan and line it with round of parchment. Lightly butter the parchment and the sides of the pan and dust with cocoa powder. Tap out any excess.
Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave or in a medium metal bowl set in a skillet of barely simmering water, stirring with a rubber spatula until smooth. Remove the bowl from the water bath and set aside to cool slightly. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt, and 2 Tbs. water. Beat on medium high speed until the mixture is very foamy, pale in color, and doubled in volume, 2 min. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually pour in the chocolate mixture. Increase the speed to medium high and continue beating until well blended, about 30 seconds. Add the cocoa powder and mix on medium low just until blended, about 30 seconds.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a pick inserted in the center comes out looking wet with small gooey clumps, 40 to 45 min. Don’t overcook.Let cool in the pan on a rack for 30 min. If necessary, gently push the edges down with your fingertips until the layer is even. Run a small knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake. Cover the cake pan with a wire rack and invert. Remove the pan and parchment and let the cake cool completely. The cake may look cinched in around its sides, which is fine. Transfer to a cake plate. Cover and refrigerate the cake until it’s very cold, at least 6 hours or overnight.
Glaze the cake:
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TIP:
To slice this cake (or any dense, sticky cake), heat the knife first, either by dipping it in a tall container of very hot water or by holding it under hot running water for a few seconds. Then wipe it dry before cutting the cake. The knife will cool quickly, and the cake will start sticking, so expect to rinse and repeat several times. A crème brûlée torch, if you have one,is also handy for heating up a knife.
Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave or in a medium metal bowl set in a skillet of barely simmering water, stirring with a rubber spatula until smooth. Pour the warm glaze over the chilled cake and, using an offset spatula, spread the glaze evenly to within 1/4 inch of the edge. Refrigerate the cake until the glaze is set, 20 to 40 min. Before serving, remove the cake from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature, 20 to 30 min. To serve, cut the cake into small, if not tiny, slices using a hot knife.
nutrition information (per serving):
Size : based on twelve servings, Calories (kcal): 420, Fat (kcal): 33, Fat Calories (g): 290, Saturated Fat(g): 18, Protein (g): 6, Monounsaturated Fat (g): 5, Carbohydrates (mg): 37, Polyunsaturated Fat (mg): 1.5, Sodium (g): 80, Cholesterol (g): 125, Fiber (g): 3
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