Flourless Chocolate Cake

If you haven’t got THIS Flourless Chocolate Cake on your bucket list, think again!

I’ve been asked a question by friends and to-be brides often – what was wedding planning like? In the months leading up to the big day, that question would send me down a whole new spiral. I craved these amazing Bailey’s Chocolate Muffins and these divine Brownies throughout that time. Now, six months on, I look back, and…err, who am I kidding, it was pretty darn STRESSFUL! But if I had to point out one thing I loved about it, it would have to be the incredible people we met in the process – our vendors. They really went above and beyond to make our day beautiful and for us to have a truly memorable time. (Did you know it rained cats and dogs on the day of, and we had to change EVERYTHING that very morning? Well, that’s a story for another day…)

And our favourite of them all was our photographer – Slawa Walczak (if you’re getting hitched, we highly recommend her. She is amazing!) She embraced our awkward selves and somehow captured the most stunning photographs that really froze details and moments that we actually forgot about! She has become a friend, and we will always be grateful for her kindness and cooperation. But another thing we’re absolutely grateful to her for is this Flourless Chocolate Cake which we probably would have never had if it wasn’t for her!

I really wanted to bake Slawa something from scratch; it may seem corny, but it’s my favourite kind of gift or thoughtful gesture. So I asked her if she had any dietary preferences and she said ‘anything gluten free’. And so my hunt began, for the most perfect gluten free chocolate cake, and here we are!

I cannot take credit for this Flourless Chocolate Cake. It is a trusty Martha Stewart recipe which I have very slightly adapted to our tastes. But I have to tell you that it is among the best chocolate cakes I’ve ever baked or eaten, and I’m so excited to share it with you!

Here’s what you need:

• Unsalted Butter – 113 g, at room temperature
• Granulated Sugar – 150 g + 50 g, divided
• Eggs – 6, large, yolks and whites separated
• Dark Chocolate – 180 g, melted and cooled
• Vanilla Extract – 4 tsp
• Finely Ground Almonds – 150 g (also known as almond meal or almond flour)
• Salt – 1/4 tsp

Here’s how you make this to-die-for Flourless Chocolate Cake:

• Preheat the oven to 175 ºC/350 ºF. Grease and line an 8-inch circle spring-form baking tin.
• In a large bowl, beat butter with 150 g sugar for two minutes until creamy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, and beat well between each addition. Pour in the melted chocolate and vanilla extract and mix; then add in the ground almonds and mix until just incorporated. Set it aside.
• In a separate bowl (make sure it is clean and dry!), beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. With the hand/stand mixer still going, slowly add in the remaining 50 g of sugar a tablespoon at a time. Beat the meringue until it is crisp white, glossy and stiff peaks form.
• Scoop a third of the meringue into the chocolate batter and stir vigorously to lighten up/thin out the dense almond-y batter. Then add in the remaining meringue and very gently fold it into the batter. Make sure not to over mix or stir too quickly, or you’ll end up beating the air out of the meringue.
• Transfer the light and airy batter into the prepared baking tin and pop it into the oven. Bake it for 35 to 40 minutes. At this point, the centre will still be a little custard-y. If you’d like it to be more fluffed up, bake for an additional 5 minutes.
• Once done, take the cake out of the oven, and slam the baking tin onto the kitchen counter once. This will cause it to sink a little in the centre, giving it that beautiful rustic, cracked-top look. Wait for 15-20 minutes, then slice and serve warm with double cream and berries of your choice.

TIP: Store the cake in the refrigerator and when you wish to eat it, warm up your slice in the microwave for 40- 60 seconds get it all gooey and fudgy. Then top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and berries and DIG IN!

This cake is magic! Pure, otherworldly, transcendent magic. A firm and crisp crust forms on the top, almost meringue-like, but when you cut in, this seriously fudgy, moist, gooey cake comes through. The almond powder makes for a dense and soft crumb that simply melts in your mouth, and the intense bittersweet dark chocolate elevates the experience thousandfold. I mean, look at that ridiculously fudgy crumb, you guys!

 

This cake is super rich – it coats your palate in the most delightful way – and so pairing it with berries and cream will help cut through that richness and bring some zing into the mix. However, if you are a chocoholic, this cake is right up your alley! Trust me, I never want to eat another chocolate cake again.

The husband is a die-hard chocoholic, and one bite in, and he was over the moon! So were Slawa, and the wonderful friends she shared the cake with. The cake opened to rave reviews and it has been a favourite both in her home and in ours ever since!

A Flourless Chocolate Cake that is gluten free does not have to be dry and taste like sawdust. This is the real deal, it has been tried and tested so many times and it has never failed. Give this recipe a whirl and share it with your family this weekend, then send this recipe over to the friends and family you’re away from during the pandemic and urge them to make it too. To you, this may be the Flourless Chocolate Cake that lifts your spirits during this scary time and makes a new memory with your loved ones. To me, this cake will always be ‘the cake I baked for Slawa’ and it will always bring me the sweetest memories from our wedding and our incredible time with her. ❤

While I hope I’ve done enough to convince you to make this cake, I’m going to go savour a slice, send Slawa lots of good vibes and wishes across continents and look through our beautiful wedding photos for the 7834645th time! ❤

Want to Pin this recipe for later? Here you go…

 

 

Hey there! I’m writing this tiny note to wish you well during this COVID-19 crisis. We in The Foodscape kitchen want to thank all the health workers who have been giving their everything to nurse us back to health. And for the rest of our readers, I hope you all are staying indoors as much as possible and practicing social distancing. Take care, stay safe and protect your loved ones. Lots of love, Winola ❤

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