Italian Flourless Chocolate Cake Food

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and butter the inside of a spring-form pan. Melt the chocolate and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat; stirring frequently until smooth. Stir in the sugar, cocoa powder and salt until all of the lumps are gone. Remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes.
• Meanwhile, beat the egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until they form stiff peaks, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Stir the egg yolks into the cooled chocolate mixture, then stir in about a quarter of the whipped egg whites. Scrape this lightened chocolate mixture into the remaining whipped egg whites and gently fold until mostly combined (it's ok if there are some streaks of egg white). Pour into the prepared pan and bake until the center of the cake no longer wiggles, 40 to 45 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan, on a wire rack (the cake will deflate slightly). Unlock the pan and dust the top of the cake with some cocoa powder. Cut into slices and serve with whipped cream.

ITALIAN FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE TORTA

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle position. Butter an 8-inch square pan, line the bottom with a parchment square and butter the parchment.
• In a medium saucepan over medium, melt the butter. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate, cocoa and espresso powder. Let stand for a few minutes to allow the chocolate to soften, then whisk until the mixture is smooth; cool until barely warm to the touch.
• In a large bowl, vigorously whisk the egg yolks and 107 grams (½ cup) of the sugar until lightened and creamy, about 30 seconds. Add the chocolate mixture and whisk until homogeneous. Add the almond flour and salt, then whisk until fully incorporated. Whisk in the rum; set aside.
• In a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, whip the egg whites on medium-high until frothy, 1 to 2 minutes. With the mixer running, gradually add the remaining 53 grams (¼ cup) sugar, then beat until the whites hold soft peaks, about 2 minutes. Add about a third of the whipped whites to the yolk-chocolate mixture and fold with a silicone spatula to lighten and loosen the base. Scrape in the remaining whites and gently fold them into the batter until no streaks remain. Transfer to the prepared pan and gently shake or tilt the pan to level the batter.
• Bake until the cake is slightly domed and a toothpick inserted at the center comes out with a few crumbs attached, 30 to 35 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 to 45 minutes; the cake will deflate slightly as it cools.
• Run a paring knife around the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cake, then invert onto a platter; if needed, peel off and discard the parchment. Cool completely. Dust with cocoa before serving.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray a 9 by 2-inch spring form pan with nonstick spray.
• Put the chocolate, butter, and salt in a large microwave safe bowl. Melt in the microwave on 75 percent power for 2 minutes. Stir and microwave again until completely melted, about 2 minutes more. Alternatively, put the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl. Bring a saucepan filled with an inch or so of water to a very slow simmer; set the bowl on the pan without touching the water. Stir occasionally until melted.
• Beat the eggs and sugar with a standing or handheld mixer until light and thickened, about 8 to 10 minutes. Fold the melted chocolate into the whipped eggs until evenly combined.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out wet but not gooey, about 1 hour and 25 minutes. Remove cake from the oven and cool on a rack.
• When ready to serve remove ring from spring form mold. Dust cake with confectioners' sugar or cocoa powder. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.
• Beat the cream and vanilla in a chilled non-reactive bowl with a whisk or an electric mixer just until they hold a loose peak. (Lift the beater from the cream and look at the shape of the peak at the end of the whisk; it should hold a lazy curve.) Sift the sugar over the cream and continue to beat just until it holds a soft peak. Take care not to over beat the cream or it will be look curdy. Serve, or refrigerate covered for up to 4 hours.

ITALIAN FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch cake pan. Line bottom with parchment.
• In a large bowl, using a mixer or by hand, beat the 7 tablespoons butter with the confectioners' sugar until smooth and creamy. Melt chocolate in a pan on top of stove. Pour warm chocolate over the butter and sugar mixture and beat until smooth. Whisk in egg yolks one at a time. Stir in potato starch.
• In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in superfine sugar and continue beating until firm peaks develop. Fold egg whites into chocolate mixture.
• Scrape the batter out of the bowl, and spread it in the pan. Bake for 18 minutes. Cake will rise and top will look dry and a little crackly. Remove pan from oven, place on a rack and allow to cool completely, about 2 hours. Cake will sink a bit.
• Unmold cake, peel off parchment, then invert onto a serving dish so the crackly surface is on top. Generously sift confectioners' sugar over the top, then serve.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Butter a 23cm springform cake tin and line the base with baking parchment.
• Melt the butter and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl in the microwave or over a pan of gently simmering water. Mix the coffee powder with 2 tbsp hot water until dissolved. Stir the coffee into the chocolate and set aside to cool slightly.
• Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl for 2 mins with an electric whisk until soft peaks form. In another large bowl, whisk both the sugars, the vanilla and egg yolks for 5-8 mins, or until pale and fluffy. Sift the cocoa powder into the egg yolk mixture and mix gently to combine.
• Stir the cooled chocolate into the egg yolk mixture, then gently fold through the egg whites until smooth. Transfer to the tin and bake for 1hr-1hr 20 mins, or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool, remove from the tin and serve with fresh berries, if you like.

ITALIAN CHOCOLATE WALNUT CAKE (FLOURLESS)

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 180°C.
• Lightly oil (or butter) a non-stick 20 cm springform pan; if yours is not non-stick, butter the bottom, line bottom with parchment paper, then butter the sides and the parchment as well.
• Melt the chocolate and butter in a heat-proof glass bowl over a pot of simmering water, stirring with a wooden spoon until both are completely melted and the mixture is smooth; take the bowl off the heat (and off the pan of water).
• Mix the instant coffee granules and 3 TBS cocoa powder into the chocolate mixture and set aside.
• In a large bowl, beat the eggs and the granulated sugar together for five minutes at high speed, until they are light in color and thickened.
• Grind 30 g of the walnuts in a spice or coffee mill until they become a fine powder.
• Coarsely chop the remaining walnuts.
• Stir the ground walnuts and walnut pieces into the egg mixture.
• Carefully fold the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until they are completely combined (I like to use a glass bowl so I can see that I've done so).
• Pour the mixture into the prepared pan.
• Bake 40 minutes or until the top of the cake is dry.
• Turn the oven off, leaving the cake undisturbed IN THE OVEN to cool COMPLETELY.
• When the cake is cooled, remove from the oven.
• Remove the cake from the pan, remove parchment paper if used, and sprinkle with the reserved cocoa powder and powdered sugar.