Italian Flourless Chocolate Cake Food

TORTA CAPRESE - THE BEST CHOCOLATE ALMOND CAKE EVER

Steps:

• Melt chocolate using a double-boiler or bain-marie method. Place a heat resistant glass bowl or a metal bowl with chocolate broken into small pieces over a pan (pot) with a boiling water in a way that the bottom of the top bowl with chocolate doesn't touch the water in the bottom pan.
• Water should continue to boil on a low heat. Occasionally stir the melting chocolate. When chocolate is completely melted - set aside.
• If you are using whole almonds, blanch almonds for 60 seconds first boiling than in cold water. Peel off the skin, quickly dry in the oven. Process in a food processor into fine grind flour.
• Ready-to-use almond flour definitely saves you some time and you can find it without a hustle at a grocery store or order online.
• NOTE: If you are using a store-bought almond flour make sure you read the ingredients. Very important. Occasionally you can come across and almond flour mix that usually has 50% almond flour 50% powdered sugar. And you can still use it for this recipe if you not need any additional powdered sugar in this case, except for 2 tbsp to beat the egg whites.
• Separate egg yolks from the egg whites. Make sure there are not egg yolk bits in the egg whites! This is the reason why I recommend separating one egg at a time over a spare bowl, so that even if one egg yolk gets broken it doesn't damage the rest of the egg whites in the bowl.
• Beat egg yolks with half of the powdered sugar until fluffy. At this stage add rum or Grand Marnier if you have it.
• In the meantime your melted chocolate has cooled down a bit and it's a perfect time to add softened butter, grated orange zest and dark (bitter) cocoa powder. Mix everything well.
• Fold in the egg yolk mix into the chocolate mix. Stir in the almond flour.
• Beat the eggs whites with remaining powdered sugar until soft peaks form (about 5 minutes starting low and slowly increasing the speed).
• If you are using a standing mixer it's a perfect time to grease your cake mold and preheat the oven to 350F.
• To prevent our cake from sticking deadly to the mold we are first greasing it with butter, then covering with some flour. Just regular all purpose flour. BUT if you are making this for someone with gluten intolerance make sure you use corn flour or other gluten-free flour instead.
• I like to use a springform baking pan but any pan with removable bottom will do.
• Now that your egg whites have a perfect soft peak consistency start gently folding them into the chocolate almond dough. One or two scoops at a time. This is very important. If you throw in all eggs white at the same time or mix to intensely they will loose their fluffy and soft consistency and make your cake.
• Carefully pour in our chocolate almond cake into prearranged pan. With a spatula level all the bumps on the surface of the cake until smooth top. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes.
• At a 30-minute mark do a toothpick test.
• Stick in a toothpick in the middle of the cake if it comes out dry or with a few breadcrumbs - the cake is ready. And it's important to not overcook this cake so that it retains its wonderful moist texture on the inside and crusty top on the outside.
• Let the cake cool for 20-30 minutes still in the baking pan before removing it. If removed too fast there is a risk to break it.
• Dust the top with confectioners/ powdered sugar or cocoa powder.

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:

• 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.

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 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.

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.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE & ALMOND CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/ gas 4 and line the base of a 20cm springform tin with baking parchment. Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of just-simmering water, or in the microwave in 20-second bursts. Stir, then leave to cool slightly.
• Meanwhile, tip the eggs and sugar into a second bowl and beat with an electric whisk for 4-5 mins, or until thick and creamy. Add the mascarpone or soft cheese and vanilla, and continue to beat until everything is combined. Lightly fold in the cooled melted chocolate mixture until everything is one even colour, then fold in the almonds. Sift over the cocoa powder and a small pinch of salt, and fold in to combine.
• Scrape the cake batter into the prepared tin. Put the tin on a baking tray and bake for 35-40 mins until the cake is puffed up and has cracked on top. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 30-40 mins - it will deflate as it cools. Serve warm as a chocolate pudding, or leave to cool completely and enjoy as a fudgy brownie cake. Dust with extra cocoa powder before serving.

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.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• To make the flourless chocolate cake , first melt the dark chocolate in the microwave or a bain-marie, and then allow to cool slightly 1 . In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk together the butter, softened beforehand and at room temperature, and sugar 2 to get a creamy mixture. You can also whip the butter using a hand mixer with a whisk attachment. Add the eggs one at a time, waiting until the one before one has been mixed in well 3 .
• Now add the vanilla extract 4 ; separately, sift the cocoa powder 5 and then add it to the butter, egg, and sugar mixture, one spoonful at a time 6 .
• Then add the salt 7 and finally the lukewarm chocolate 8 . Mix all the other ingredients together using a spatula 9 .
• Butter a 9-9.5-inch (22-24-cm) 10 cake pan and line with parchment paper, then pour the cake batter in 11 and level it using the back of a spoon, distributing it evenly in the pan 12 .
• Bake the cake in a conventional oven preheated to 350°F (180°C) for 30-35 minutes (320°F (160°C) for 20-25 minutes in a convection oven). Once a delicate crust has formed, remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool 13 . You can keep the cake with the crust on the top, or else turn it over using a dinner plate. Sprinkle with plenty of powdered sugar 14 and your flourless chocolate cake is ready to go 15 !

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 275 degrees with the rack in the center. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Set aside.
• Place butter and chocolate in a large heatproof bowl and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring each time, until completely melted. Let cool slightly. Whisk in egg yolks.
• In a large bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add granulated sugar, and continue beating until glossy stiff peaks form. Whisk 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture; then gently fold in remaining egg whites.
• Pour batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan and is set in the center, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack; remove sides of pan. Serve at room temperature, dusted with confectioners' sugar. Serve with whipped cream, if desired.