David Rubel's

What's For Dinner?

3/01/06 

Almost Flourless Chocolate Cake

My feeling is that, if you’re going to eat the bad things, what you eat should really be good. This cake is—and fancy, too. It bakes in a water bath, like cheesecake, so that it stays creamy.

• 12 oz high-quality semisweet chocolate
• 12 Tbs unsalted butter
• 6 eggs, separated and at room temperature
• 3/4 c brown sugar
• 1/4 c flour
• 4 Tbs bourbon (see tip below)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• confectioner’s sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, having placed one of the racks in the middle position.

2. Butter a nine-inch springform pan. Add a parchment-paper liner to the bottom, and butter this as well. Wrap the outside of the pan in a double-layer of wide-sheet, heavy-duty aluminum foil. (This prevents seepage from the water bath.) Set the cake pan inside a larger roasting pan.

3. Melt the chocolate and the butter (see tip below). Stir to combine.

4. Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or a hand mixer, beat the egg yolks and the brown sugar on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

5. Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the chocolate mixture, and mix until just combined. Then add the flour, and mix until just combined. Finally, add the bourbon and vanilla extract, and mix until just combined. Transfer the batter to a large mixing bowl.

6. Clean and dry the mixer thoroughly, then beat the egg whites and the salt on high speed until the whites form soft peaks, about a minute.

7. Gradually and carefully fold the whites into the batter, then transfer the batter to the cake pan. Place the cake pan/roasting pan assembly in the oven, and add enough hot tap water to the roasting pan so that the water covers about half the thickness of the cake (about an inch and a half).

8. Bake until the top of the cake is set, about 50-55 minutes. Set the cake pan on a rack, and let it cool completely before proceeding.

9. Remove the springform ring. Using a suitably flat platter, invert the cake so that the top becomes the bottom. Peel off the parchment, and dust with confectioner’s sugar. Serve at room temperature.

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Tips

* The safest way to melt the chocolate and butter is in a double-boiler, which can be as simple as a metal pan set inside a skillet of simmering water. You can also use a microwave, but only if you promise to be careful. (Scorching the chocolate will ruin it.) If using the microwave, remove and stir the mixture every 15-20 seconds. Whichever method you use, you don’t need to keep going until every last morsel is melted; the residual heat will take care of any graininess.

*For this cake, I usually use Maker’s Mark bourbon, but you can also substitute another whiskey like Jack Daniels or a liqueur such as Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or Fra Angelico.

* An easy way to cut this cake neatly is to use a long strand of dental floss. Cut wedges by pulling the floss down from the top, then removing it horizontally.

* Chocolate loses flavor as it gets colder, so you want to serve this cake at room temperature. (Think of the difference in taste between a cold chocolate bar and a piece of chocolate melting in your mouth.)

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