Ultimate Flourless Chocolate Cake

By beazus

Ultimate. Seriously. This is so good. And easy!! 3-4 ingredients, tops. Found this in the Cooks Illustrated "Best Recipes" book, and all their testing and research really payed off. You could easily (I think) dress this up with a raspberry sauce, some freshly whipped cream, good vanilla ice cream, etc. (My mom suggested raspberry sorbet.) This one's for the chocolate lovers.

Ingredients

• 8 large eggs, cold
• 1 lb. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1/4 cup strong coffee or liqueur (optional)
• Confectioner's sugar or cocoa powder for decoration

Preparation

Step 1

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Line bottom of 8-inch springform pan with parchment and grease pan sides. Cover pan underneath and along sides with sheet of heavy-duty foil and set in large roasting pan. Bring Kettle of water to boil.
2. Beat eggs with mixer (hand-held or stand) at high speed until volume doubles to approximately 1 quart, about 5 minutes. (Use medium speed to achieve same results on stand mixer.)
3. Meanwhile, melt chocolate and butter (adding coffee or liqueur, if using) in large heatproof bowl set over pan of almost simmering water, until smooth and very warm (about 115 degrees on an instant-read thermometer), stirring once or twice. (For the microwave, melt chocolate at 50 percent power for 2 minutes, stir, add butter, and continue heating at 50 percent power, stirring every minute, until chocolate and butter have melted and are smooth, another 2 to 3 minutes total.) Fold 1/3 of egg foam into chocolate mixture using large rubber spatula until only a few streaks of eggs are visible; fold in half of remaining foam, then last of remaining foam, until mixture is totally homogenous.
4. Scrape batter into prepared springform pan and smooth surface with rubber spatula. Set roasting pan on oven rack and pour in enough boiling water to come about halfway up side of springform pan. Bake until cake has risen slightly, edges are just beginning to set, a thin glazed crust (like a brownie) has formed on surface, and an instant-read thermometer inserted halfway through center of cake registers at 140 degrees, 22 to 25 minutes. Remove cake pan from water bath and set on wire rack; cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight to mellow (can be covered and refrigerated for up to 4 days).
5. About 30 minutes before serving, remove springform pan sides, invert cake on sheet of waxed paper, peel off parchment pan liner, and turn cake right side up on serving platter. Sieve light sprinkling of confectioners' sugar or unsweetened cocoa powder over cake to decorate, if desired.