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flourless chocolate cake
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Torta al Cioccolato

In honor of the arrival of spring and family festivities that mark the season, we have created a rich Italian-style flourless cake in the tradition of Capri. It is a combination of quality bittersweet chocolate and butter. The cake is bound with eggs, sugar and superfine almond flour. Then the mixture is lightened with whipped egg whites, which give it a melting souffle-like texture.
While the cake is simple to make, there are things to keep in mind. Have all your ingredients ready before starting. This is especially important because once you whip the egg whites, you want to be ready to complete the steps necessary to mix the cake. Choose the best chocolate you can find because it is the star ingredient in this recipe. We look for bittersweet chocolate with 60 to 70% cocoa solids. 
Fold in the egg whites gently, just until there are no white specks in the batter but not so much as to deflate the mixture.  Serve the cake the day it is made or the next day. While it can be frozen to serve later, it is best when eaten within a day of baking.
Course: Dessert
Servings: 8

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
  • 8 tbsp (4 ounces) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or amaretto
  • 5 eggs, separated
  • pinch of salt
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 1 cup almond flour or finely ground almonds
  • powdered sugar, as needed
  • whipped cream, as needed
  • grated chocolate, as needed

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 325°F degrees. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan. Set aside.
  • Place the chocolate and butter in a small bowl over simmering water. Cover the bowl and let it sit for 5-8 minutes. Remove the bowl from the heat. Remove the cover and stir the chocolate until it is smooth. Stir in the honey and vanilla. Set aside to cool slightly.
  • Beat the egg whites and the salt in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the whip until stiff but not dry.  Scrape them into a separate mixing bowl.
  • Beat the egg yolks and sugar in the mixer bowl until light in color and foamy, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chocolate mixture and blend for 1 minute. Add the cornstarch and almond flour, mix just until incorporated for about 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl. 
  • Carefully fold one third of the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten the batter. Then fold in the remaining egg whites.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the surface of the batter with a spatula. 
  • Bake the cake on the middle rack of the preheated oven for 25-20 minutes. The cake will be slightly firm but moist in the center. If the cake looks a bit underdone, that is correct. This is a moist cake, like a chocolate souffle.
  • Cool the cake on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cake onto a serving dish then flip the cake over. Sprinkle the cake with powdered sugar if desired.