Recipe: Flourless Chocolate Cake
MANILA, Philippines — Chef Jill Sandique’s hands were injured last Christmas, so she was not able to bake Apple Pie for her mom; Concorde Cake, cookies and brownies for her nieces and nephews; and Pistachio Sans Rival for the whole gang.
But on the Noche Buena and Media Noche table of a top-caliber pastry chef like her, it is a sin not to have even one simple cake. So she went ahead and whipped up one cake — Innobake Flourless Chocolate Cake — a quick and easy but perfect dessert for any occasion or no occasion at all.
Innobake Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
125 grams Patissier 61% bittersweet chocolate
1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter
1 tbsp. (12 grams) brown sugar
2 large egg yolks
3 1/2 tbsps. (25 grams) ground nuts (almonds, macadamia or cashew)
1 tbsp. rum, brandy or Cognac (optional)
2 large egg whites
1 large pinch salt
2 tbsps. (25 grams) brown sugar
To serve:
Vermuyten Toppng Royale, whipped with a little sugar and vanilla extract until light
Store-bought berry sauce, jam or preserves
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
Grated Patissier 61% bittersweet chocolate, for topping
Mint leaves, for garnish (optional)
Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease a 6-inch spring-form pan with butter, then line the sides and bottom of pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a heatproof bowl, combine 125 grams bittersweet chocolate and butter. Place bowl over a pan of simmering water, and allow chocolate and butter to melt gently. Remove bowl from heat, then cool the melted chocolate-butter mixture down to barely lukewarm.
3. Stir in 1 tbsp. brown sugar, egg yolks, ground nuts, and rum, brandy or Cognac, if using. Mix well. Set aside.
4. In another bowl, beat egg whites with salt until frothy. Add 2 tbsps. brown sugar and beat until light. Fold beaten egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Blend well.
5. Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until done. Remove from oven and cool completely. Cover cake with plastic film or keep in a sealed container. Chill overnight.
6. When ready to serve, slice the cake into small portions (or make a large scoop using a tablespoon) and dust cake with confectioners’ sugar. Top with whipped Vermuyten Topping Royale and grated chocolate. Put a spoonful of berry sauce (jam or preserve) over cake. Serve immediately.
