Chocolate Flourless Cake with Chocolate Glaze

I had an opportunity to make another birthday cake in the same week!!!  Happy Days!  This was for a long time friend that I know is a chocolate aficionado (his wife, too) so there was no doubt in my mind what I would make for him.  Double chocolate wickedness!!

I made this cake once before, for my daughter and my birthday (we celebrate the same day), when she had just moved up to Boston, so I knew it would be delicious.

This is the link because I follow the recipe almost exactly.  I am  including my comments and picture progress.

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Glaze

For the cake I use a mix of Ghirardelli semi-sweet  and bittersweet chocolate, 8 oz. semi-sweet and 4 oz. bittersweet.

I never use unsalted butter.  I see no difference in taste.

I do not use dark corn syrup.  I never have it but I always have light corn syrup, so that is what I used.

I did not garnish with chocolate shavings or gold brushed chocolate leaves.  I chose to serve it with whipped cream.  I would have liked a few fresh raspberries as well.  Definitely will the next time!

For the cake, I do not melt the chocolate and butter in a saucepan because there is that slight chance it could get burnt.  I melt it in a glass bowl in the microwave, starting at 1 minute on high and then continuing at 10 second intervals stirring thoroughly after each 1o seconds,  until melted (usually just 2, 10 second sets will do it for me).  Be patient.  Microwave less and stir more.

When separating eggs, use two very clean bowls and a small ingredient bowl (you will see the set up below).  Separate the egg white into the small bowl and then transfer into the larger bowl.  Then if you mess up (ahem, which I have done on many, many occasions) you have only messed up that one egg and not the whole lot.

Since this recipe has no leavening (baking soda or baking powder) it’s relying on the egg whites to do the job.  To help you understand about folding egg whites (very difficult to show in pictures or describe in words) watch this video from Alton Brown.  At about the 58 second spot he starts folding and that’s what I want you to see.  I don’t agree that the eggs need to be that stiff.   You will see in the picture below the consistency of the egg whites that I like.  And I think the use of multiple bowls is a little excessive.

Folding Egg Whites

For the glaze, bring the cream and corn syrup to a simmer in a saucepan but pour it over a separate bowl that contains the 9 oz. of chopped Ghirardelli chocolate: 6 oz. semi-sweet and 3 oz. bittersweet.  Let sit for one minute, then whisk until chocolate melted and mixture is thoroughly combined.

springform pan:

canola oil sprayed springform pan and wax paper round ready to go in:

foil encased pan:

chocolate butter mixture:

egg separating set-up:

egg yolks and sugar, very thick and pale:

chocolate mixture folded into egg yolk mix:

what my beaten egg whites look like:

folding egg whites into chocolate mixture:

more folding:

completed cake batter:

cake batter in pan:

out of the oven, see how puffed it is?:

cooled and fallen and pressed down:

pan sides removed:

tart bottom:

inverting cake onto tart bottom:

remove wax paper:

cream and chocolate for the glaze, let sit for 1 minute and then stir:

glaze mixed:

space in my freezer:

1/2 cup of glaze spread onto cake:

into the freezer for 3 minutes:

spreading the rest of the glaze onto the cake:

completed cake ready to be chilled:

my husband liked this cake and he normally does not eat chocolate:

Enjoy!