Flourless French Chocolate Fondant Cake Food

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan (preferably light metal); dust with cocoa powder and tap out the excess. Combine the butter and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water); stir until melted and smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and let cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, beat the eggs, granulated sugar and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until thickened and very airy, 4 to 6 minutes. Beat in the orange liqueur and vanilla. Gently fold in the melted chocolate mixture with a rubber spatula in three additions until just combined (do not overmix).
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until the edges are set and the center puffs but is slightly jiggly, 30 to 40 minutes. (The cake will continue to set as it cools.) Transfer to a rack and let cool completely (the center may sink a bit). Remove the springform ring. Dust the cake with cocoa powder and confectioners' sugar just before serving.

FLOURLESS FRENCH CHOCOLATE FONDANT CAKE

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• In a large saucepan, stir together the egg yolk and the granulated sugar until it turns light yellow and slightly foamy. In a separate small saucepan over low heat, bring the milk to a simmer.
• Once the milk is just beginning to bubble (be careful not to let the milk boil or the milk may curdle), add half of the milk, whisking constantly, to the egg-sugar mixture. Add the remainder of the hot milk to the tempered eggs, continue stirring, and cook over low-medium heat for 1-2 minutes, until the mixture thickens and coats a spoon.
• Place the chopped chocolate into a double boiler set over 2 inches of simmering water. Pour the milk-egg mixture over the chocolate, stirring constantly, until it is melted and the mixture is completely smooth. Chocolate can be melted in the microwave but this must be approached with caution as the chocolate can easily burn.
• Add the butter and the vanilla extract to the hot chocolate milk mixture and continue cooking and stirring until the butter is completely melted about 3 minutes. Pour the batter into a very lightly greased 9-inch loaf pan or classic round tin and refrigerate the chocolate fondant for 6 to 8 hours, or overnight.`
• To unmold the cake, place the bottom of the pan into a large pan of hot water for 30 seconds. Loosen the edges of the cake with a butter knife or an offset spatula, and invert it onto a chilled serving platter. Cut the cake into crosswise slices and serve it cold.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE FONDANTS

Steps:

• For the filling, pour the cream into a saucepan and warm over a low heat until steaming. Remove from the heat and stir in the chocolate and brandy until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Tip into a small bowl, sprinkle over a small pinch of sea salt and chill for at least 1 hr until set. When ready, it should be firm enough to roll into a ball. Divide the mixture into four and roll each portion into a ball, then put on a plate or tray and keep chilled until needed.
• Melt 25g of the butter in the microwave and use this to brush the insides of four mini pudding moulds or ramekins. Dust with the cocoa, shaking out any excess. Tip the chocolate and remaining butter into a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, ensuring the bowl doesn't touch the water, and stir until melted and combined. Beat the eggs and sugar together in a separate bowl using an electric whisk for 4-5 mins until pale and fluffy. Remove the chocolate mix from the heat and gently fold in the whipped egg mix to combine. Fill each mould just a third of the way up with the fondant mixture, then drop a ball of filling onto the middle of each. Spoon over enough of the remaining fondant mixture to come two-thirds of the way up the sides of the moulds - you need to leave the final third free to allow for rising. Freeze for at least 4 hrs. Will keep frozen for two months.
• To bake, heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Put as many fondants as you want to cook on a baking tray and bake for 15-18 mins until the tops have formed a crust and the fondants are starting to come away from the sides of the moulds. Leave to rest for 1 min, then loosen by running a cutlery knife around the sides of the moulds. Turn out onto plates and serve with ice cream or crème fraîche.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Combine chocolates and butter in top of a double boiler. Melt over hot (but not boiling) water, stirring often. Remove top from heat and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
• Meanwhile, in a small pan, combine the 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Boil 4 minutes without stirring. Set aside to cool to room temperature, about 1 1/2 hours (sugar may crystallize on surface--don't worry if it does).
• Preheat oven to 350* F. Butter and flour a 9x2 inch round cake pan. Line bottom with parchment paper; butter and flour paper. Start heating some water, such as in a kettle, so it is quite hot but not boiling.
• When chocolate and syrup have cooled, beat eggs and the 1/3 cup sugar in large mixing bowl at high speed for 10 minutes or until tripled in volume and eggs form ribbons when beaters are lifted.
• Slowly pour in syrup, beating constantly at high speed and taking care not to pour over beaters (which will fling syrup around in a sticky mess).
• Fold in chocolate mixture until blended. Pour cake batter into prepared pan.
• Place pan in a shallow baking pan, large enough for the cake pan to sit level on bottom and about 1 1/2 or 2 inches deep. Pour hot water around the cake pan to 1 inch depth, taking care not to splash water into the cake.
• Place the bain marie with the cake into the oven and bake at 350 for 1 hour 15 minutes. The toothpick test will not work; the cake should be moist with a slight crust on top.
• Remove the cake from the bain marie. Cool in the pan to room temperature (about 3 hours). During cooling, the cake will settle and crack.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours.
• To serve, run a warm knife around inside of pan several times to loosen cake. Gently heat bottom by placing in hot water for 1-2 minutes. Dry off to keep from dripping onto cake. Place a baking sheet over top of pan, invert, and rap sharply on counter to remove cake from pan. The cake can be quite difficult to remove, so you may need to repeat these steps a few times before you are successful.
• Peel off paper and invert onto a serving platter, so top side is once again up. Cover and refrigerate; remove from refrigerator 30 minutes before serving and let sit at room temperature.
• Garnish with a dusting of sifted confectioner's sugar before slicing. The cake is very rich, so cut into sliver portions to serve.