Joy of Desserts: Clinton St. Baking Co.'s Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe

I have special permission from Hachette Book Group to republish the Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe from Clinton St. Baking Company's brand new cookbook. This recipe is a real hit. Not only is it chocolate, which most people love, but there are benefits to having a good flourless cake recipe on hand for your guests.

With the increasing number of people with wheat or gluten sensitivities, allergies or diagnosed with Celiac disease, and with Passover requiring abstinence from all leaven, you are bound to come across someone who will be thankful for a flourless cake. This one is sure to please.

Also please note the special details in this recipe which many do not bother with, such as: using sugar to line the pan instead of flour (particularly necessary with this recipe), using fresh coffee to enhance the chocolate flavor, or specifying the percentage of the cacao.

Click this link for my review of the Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook.

Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe
Makes one 10-inch cake

This cake is rich, dense and a true chocolate lover's dream. It's also a great flourless dessert for Passover. The secret is the freshly brewed coffee, which makes it really intense, moist and, well, caffeinated.

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup plus 1 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups strong, freshly brewed or cold coffee
3 3/4 cups semisweet chocolate chunks (52-62% cacao; see the note*)
7 large eggs
1 3/4 cups heavy cream, chilled
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (we recommend Valrhona or Ghirardelli)
Raspberry Caramel Sauce (page 178)
Real Whipped Cream (optional; page 178)

Preheat the oven to 325 F. Lightly grease a 10-inch springform cake pan. Add 1/4 cup of the sugar to the pan. Shake the sugar along the buttered sides and bottom so that the pan is coated. Tap the pan with your fingers to release any excess sugar and discard.
If the coffee is hot, pour it over the chocolate chunks in a bowl and whisk quickly to melt the chocolate. If the coffee is not hot, place the chunks and coffee together in a microwave-safe container and heat together for 1 to 2 minutes on high, until the chocolate is melted.
Bring a pot of water to a simmer. In a metal or glass bowl, whisk together the eggs with the remaining cup of sugar. Place the bowl over the simmering water and whisk continuously until the eggs become light and fluffy.
In a separate bowl, whip the cream to medium peaks either by hand or with a handheld mixer.
Add the coffee-and-chocolate mixture to the eggs in two stages, folding between each stage. Gently fold in the cocoa powder and then the whipped cream, using the same method.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Wrap the bottom of the springform in heavy-duty foil. Place the pan in a shallow baking dish and fill the dish with hot tap water until the water comes up 1 to 2 inches along the sides of the pan.
Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Turn off the oven, prop open the oven door, and allow the cake to cool in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven and cool for 2 hours in the fridge or at room temperature.
To serve, remove the outer ring of the pan. Cut the cake into clean slices using a knife dipped in warm water and wiped in between slices. Serve with Raspberry Caramel Sauce and Real Whipped Cream.

*Note: The best way to cut chunks from a bar of chocolate is to use a heavy chef's knife and chop the chocolate as if you were chopping an onion. Cut it one way in strips, and then across the other way, to make chunks. This method is good for chocolate chunks that will be folded into a batter ... or for a recipe in which you want to bite a piece of chocolate (like a chocolate chunk cookie). For recipes that call for melted chocolate, the smaller you cut the chocolate, the faster it will melt in a double boiler. Bittersweet chocolate and new gourmet chocolates that list their percentages of cacao are best for eating and baking recipes. They have less sugar and more pronounced flavors that are best for recipes like a flourless chocolate cake or a chocolate sauce.

Title: Clinton St. Baking Company Cookbook