Flourless Chocolate Cake with a HOLIDAY TWIST

Rich and decadent, this cake is flourless and does not rely on any leavening agent other than slightly beaten eggs. What isn’t lacking in volume it makes up for in fudgey flavor. Peppermint candies and ice cream dd the HOLIDAY TWIST!

 

Flourless Chocolate Cake with a HOLIDAY TWIST    Yield: 8" cake, 8 to 12 servings.

Cake:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 to 2 teaspoons espresso powder, optional  (Espresso enhances chocolate's flavor much as vanilla does; using 1 teaspoon will simply enhance the flavor, while 2 teaspoons will lend a hint of mocha to the cake.)

1 teaspoon  vanilla

3 large eggs

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch-process cocoa  preferred

Glaze:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 

 1/2 cup heavy cream

Holiday Twist:

Crushed peppermint candies

Peppermint ice cream

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a metal 8" round cake pan; cut a piece of parchment to fit, grease it, and lay it in the bottom of the pan. 
2. Cake: Put the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the butter is melted and the chips are soft. 
3. Stir until the chips melt, reheating briefly if necessary. 
4. Stir in the sugar, salt, espresso powder, and vanilla. Espresso enhances chocolate's flavor much as vanilla does; using 1 teaspoon will simply enhance the flavor, while 2 teaspoons will lend a hint of mocha to the cake. 
5. Add the eggs, beating briefly until smooth.
   
   
   
   
6. Sift  the cocoa powder into the batter and mix just to combine. 
   
   
   

   
7. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. 
   
8. Bake the cake for 25 to 35 minutes; the top will have formed a thin crust; it should register at least 200°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into its center.
   
9. Remove it from the oven, and cool it in the pan for 5 minutes. 
10. Loosen the edges of the pan with a table knife or nylon spreader, and turn it out onto a serving plate. The top will now be on the bottom and the edges will crumble a bi..Allow the cake to cool completely before glazing. 
11. Glaze: Combine the chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the cream is very hot, but not simmering. Remove from the microwave, and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is completely smooth. 
    
12. Spoon the glaze over the cake, spreading it to drip over the sides a bit. Allow the glaze to set for several hours before serving the cake. 
13. Holiday Twist: After glazing the cake, press crushed peppermint candies onto the sides of the cake. Serve with a scoop of peppermint ice cream. 

Recipe without photos . . .

Flourless Chocolate Cake with a HOLIDAY TWIST    Yield: 8" cake, 8 to 12 servings.

Cake:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 to 2 teaspoons espresso powder, optional  (Espresso enhances chocolate's flavor much as vanilla does; using 1 teaspoon will simply enhance the flavor, while 2 teaspoons will lend a hint of mocha to the cake.)

1 teaspoon  vanilla

3 large eggs

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch-process cocoa  preferred

Glaze:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips 

 1/2 cup heavy cream

Holiday Twist:

Crushed peppermint candies

Peppermint ice cream

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a metal 8" round cake pan; cut a piece of parchment to fit, grease it, and lay it in the bottom of the pan. 
2. Cake: Put the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the butter is melted and the chips are soft. 
3. Stir until the chips melt, reheating briefly if necessary. 
4. Stir in the sugar, salt, espresso powder, and vanilla. Espresso enhances chocolate's flavor much as vanilla does; using 1 teaspoon will simply enhance the flavor, while 2 teaspoons will lend a hint of mocha to the cake. 
5. Add the eggs, beating briefly until smooth. 
6. Sift  the cocoa powder into the batter and mix just to combine. 
7. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. 
8. Bake the cake for 25 to 35 minutes; the top will have formed a thin crust; it should register at least 200°F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into its center.
9. Remove it from the oven, and cool it in the pan for 5 minutes. 
10. Loosen the edges of the pan with a table knife or nylon spreader, and turn it out onto a serving plate. The top will now be on the bottom and the edges will crumble a bi..Allow the cake to cool completely before glazing. 
11. Glaze: Combine the chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the cream is very hot, but not simmering. Remove from the microwave, and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is completely smooth. 
12. Spoon the glaze over the cake, spreading it to drip over the sides a bit. Allow the glaze to set for several hours before serving the cake. 
13. Holiday Twist: After glazing the cake, press crushed peppermint candies onto the sides of the cake. Serve with a scoop of peppermint ice cream.