"The Ultimate Flourless Chocolate Cake"

Okay, Julie, et al., here's the story behind the cake, as well as the much-anticipated recipe.

Years ago, I worked in Nashville. One of my co-workers had a friend who was a caterer and had a storefront in the Belle Meade/Bellevue area, where she had some scrumptious lunch offerings. We occasionally went there to get something for lunch. I remember one year picking up tender prime rib, probably (although I don't recall) a side or two, some bread, and most definitely a couple of slices of the delicious flourless chocolate truffle cake that I'd discovered there, and bringing them home for a very nice (and pricey, I'm sure) Valentine's dinner. The meal was good; dessert was unforgettable; one of those foods that sticks in your memory (mine, at least)and just won't let go.

In recent years, when we've been in the area, I've driven past the location where the shop was (in hopes of getting a slice of cake for me and the kids), only to find that the shop is no longer there. I also thought I'd one day look up a recipe, but never have; I figured it'd be complicated, anyway, and, as a result, something I'd put off doing. (Even after getting this recipe, I put it off, but it is not complicated at all!)

Then, while waiting in a grocery check-out line a few months ago, I noticed a magazine that was not offensive. (Harder and harder to believe, I know; my daughters and I have gotten to where we search the bottom shelf for the least offensive magazines, and use those to cover the others. At the very least, we turn the offensive ones around, but this always doesn't work, since the back covers can be as bad as or worse than the fronts. End of rant. Back to story.) Not only was it not offensive; it was delicious-looking! And the front photo reminded me of that flourless chocolate cake--and I found the title/teaser, and it said it was a flourless chocolate cake!! Needless to say, the tease worked on me, and I bought the magazine.

This recipe comes from page 43 of the October 10, 2006, issue of Quick and Simple magazine:

The Ultimate Flourless Chocolate Cake

• 8 large eggs
• 1 lb. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped [I used a bag of bittersweet chips, and finished off with semisweet--it's just what I had last week]
• 1/2 lb. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2" cubes [I used salted; never intentionally have unsalted]
• 1/4 cup strong brewed coffee (optional)

[You'll need some boiling water, too.]

1. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Line the bottom of a 9" springform pan with parchment paper and grease the sides of the pan. Wrap the bottom of the assembled pan with heavy-duty foil and set pan in a larger roasting pan.

2. Using a handheld mixer, beat the eggs at high speed for about 5 minutes, until their volume doubles. [I admit, I used my stand mixer. Why is handheld specified??] Melt chocolate and butter with the coffee (if using) in a large bowl in the mocrowave on 50% power for 1 minute. Stir mixture and continue to microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring after each, until chocolate is fully melted.

3. Using a rubber spatula, fold a third of the eggs into the chocolate mixture until just a few streaks are visible. Repeat with half the remaining eggs, then fold in the last of the eggs.

4. Pour batter into springform pan and smooth the surface. Set roasting pan [with sprinform pan in it] in oven and pour enough boiling water into it [the roasting pan] to come halfway up the outside of the springform pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the cake has risen slightly, the edges are just beginning to set and an instant-read thermometer inserted halfway into the center of the cake reads 140 degrees. [The cake is not going to look done; it will still jiggle a lot, etc., but that's okay, if the above criteria are met.] Remove the springform pan to a wire rack and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight. [This is as far as I went with these instructions, since we had circumstances that didn't mesh with the following ones. The magazine's instructions continue as stated here, but in a moment, I'll tell what I did.] About 30 minutes before serving, remove the springform pan sides, invert cake onto a sheet of waxed paper, take off the parchment liner, and invert the cake again onto a serving platter.

5. Meanwhile, prepare glaze: Cook chocolate [3 oz. semisweet, coarsely chopped], butter [3 tbsp unsalted], corn syrup [1 tbsp of light] and milk [1 tbsp] in a heavy saucepan over low heat, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Pour glaze over cake and serve with whipped cream and fresh raspberries.

Now here's what I did (and didn't do), after chilling overnight:

I didn't use the suggested glaze, since we were taking the cake to church and I wanted it to be easy to serve. The first time we made the cake, the glaze became a hard shell when refrigerated on the cake, and that was messy, difficult to cut, etc. I'd had that wonderful chocolate cake Christy made a few weeks ago, so I called her for the light and fluffy ganache recipe for that cake (much better suited to this than the ganache we usually make, which also becomes hard upon refrigeration). Here's that recipe (as emailed to me by Christy), which makes a lot, but Keith really liked the thick layer of it on top:

Chocolate Ganache

1 (12 oz.) package semisweet chocolate morsels

1-1/2 cups whipping cream

3 Tbsp. butter

1. Microwave semisweet chocolate morsels and whipping cream in a 2-qt.microwave-safe bowl at medium (50% power) 2-1/2 to 3 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt. Whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Whisk in butter, and let stand 20 minutes.

2. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 3 to 4 minutes or until soft peaks form.

3. Keep mixture from Keith until you have finished your recipe.

She revised it a bit, upon learning that Keith was highly offended by #3 in the instructions:

3. Before washing dishes, give bowl, beaters, spatula, and bib to Keith.

After adding the ganache, I chilled more.

Then eat!

Mary Susan