Dark Chocolate Espresso Flourless Cake with Edible Flowers
An intensely chocolate, flourless chocolate cake enhanced with a touch of espresso and complemented with a sweet vanilla whipped cream. Top with edible flowers, and you have a quick and elegant 6 ingredient dessert recipe that will WOW your guests!
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Total Time 55 mins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American, French
Servings: 8 people
Author: straighttothehipsbaby
Cost: $12
Equipment
1 Springform Pan
1 mixer
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Ingredients
8 ounces 60% cacao bittersweet baking chocolate I prefer Ghirardelli
6 tablespoons + more to grease the pan salted butter Cold & Cubed
6 large eggs Separated into Yolks & Whites
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons espresso powder
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 275F and place a rack in the middle position
- Prepare your springform pan; Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit the inner section of the pan and insert. Grease the edges and parchment paper with butter. Reserve.
- Separate your eggs into two separate bowls; one containing the yolks and the other the egg whites. Reserve.
- Roughly chop the bittersweet baking chocolate and add to a large microwave safe bowl, along with the remaining cubed salted butter.
- Melt the butter & chocolate together in 30 second intervals on high heat, in the microwave. Stirring with a fork between each heating. Melt until smooth (about 4 intervals). Let cool slightly.
- Next, you will whisk in the egg yolks into the melted chocolate mixture, until combined. Now, add the espresso powder to the chocolate and mix until incorporated. Reserve.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment (or using a hand held mixer and a large bowl) we will beat the egg whites on high, until soft peaks are formed. The egg whites should be white, but still airy and "floppy", when they reach the soft peak stage.
- Lower the mixer speed and gradually add the vanilla sugar + regular sugar to the egg whites. Return to high speed and beat until stiff peaks are formed. You want to beat until glossy & white. Test the stiffness by dip a spatula into the egg whites; you should be able to pull out the spatula with a dollop of egg white that stands straight and doesn't sag.
- Take 1/4 of the egg whites and whisk to incorporate into the chocolate/egg yolk mixture.
- Using a rubber spatula, add the remaining beaten egg whites to the bowl and carefully fold into the batter. You want most of the egg whites to mix into the chocolate, but not mix so vigorously that the airiness of the egg whites dissolves.
- Next, gently scrape the chocolate batter into the prepared spring form pan. Lightly smooth the top and even out the layer.
- Bake for 45 minutes. The cake will rise significantly, but then fall quite a bit after you remove from the oven. Don't panic! This is exactly what makes this fudge cake so special.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before serving.
- Remove from the springform pan and transfer (carefully!) to a cake plate or cake stand, using two sturdy spatulas. The parchment paper should help create a stronger base.
- Serve with a raspberry coulis and vanilla whipped cream, or your favorite ice cream or gelato.
