Chocolate Cake Challenge

I joined the CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE this month and the theme is Chocolate Cake. Perfect timing since Valentine's Day is next week and chocolate is my dessert of choice.

I was excited about joining this challenge since I wanted to make a different cake than the usual special occasion chocolate cake my family loves.

I didn't know what I was looking for in a chocolate cake but I was sure that when I saw the recipe I would know it was the one for me.

After hours of blog searching I came across a flourless chocolate cake at My Sweet and Savory blog. As soon as I saw it I knew everyone would luuuuvvv it.

I've often had this luscious chocolate dessert in many a restaurant but I never made one. It has a fudge-like texture -- well it doesn't have flour so we should take that into consideration -- and it can be very sweet.

The recipe from My Sweet and Savory's blog is from Nigella Lawson.  It looked perfect, except I really was looking for a recipe that yielded a smaller size since I'm not feeding a crowd and I know everyone would only be tasting it with a bite or two (except me of course). 

So I did a little testing and came up with a perfect balance of rich chocolate and less sweetness. Our family enjoys the taste of deep, dark chocolate which is naturally less sweet than semi-sweet so I mixed the bittersweet and semi-sweet which gave me the perfect chocolate flavor for our tastes.

This recipe is very easy to make and only takes about 15-20 minutes prep time.  You can use whatever type of chocolate you prefer for this recipe.  I am serving mine with fresh raspberries and whipped cream.    You can add a scoop of your favorite ice cream or any other fresh fruit you choose.  

Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients

• 4 1 oz. squares of bittersweet chocolate
• 2 1 oz. squares of semisweet chocolate
• 1 stick butter
• 3/4 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder sifted
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 7 inch tart pan or spring form pan with non-stick cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper and spray the paper.
2. In heavy sauce melt the butter and the chocolate over medium/low heat, stirring often to prevent from sticking and burning. Stir until butter and chocolate are melted and smooth.

3. Add the sugar and stir well for about 1 minute until the sugar dissolves.
4. Remove pan from heat and whisk in one egg at a time - whisking each egg until it is well incorporated into the chocolate mixture. The mixture will be glossy and smooth.
5. Next add the sifted cocoa powder and continue to whisk until the cocoa is well blended and the chocolate mixture is smooth.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in preheated oven approximately 22-25 minutes. Do not overbake or the cake will be dry.
7. Cool the cake on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and carefully place on serving platter.

Add this to the list of  easy, flexible, and definitely makes a great impression with little effort recipes.   Make this any day, for special occasions, when the boss comes to dinner, or place on a buffet, and don't forget Mother's Day.   The possibilities are endless!







Mangia!
Winelady Cooks 


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