Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Sauce
I don't make dessert often, but I love dark chocolate. Combined with citrus or berries, dark chocolate is a perfect marriage. Rich deep flavors with bright lively citrus. A tangy and sweet raspberry sauce is the perfect finish for this chocolate cake.
My experience with gluten free or flourless chocolate cakes is that they either require almond flour, which can be expensive, hard to find, and complicates this dish for someone who has a nut allergy, or they are intense and dense and one or two bites is all you want before it feels too heavy. This cake is neither. No almond flour and it is surprisingly light. With just the right orange flavor and the bright raspberry sauce it is decadent and refreshing.
Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and line a springform pan with a circle of parchment paper. Oil the parchment and sides of the springform pan and wrap the bottom of the pan in foil. This cake cooks in a water bath and I know for sure that my springform pan is not water tight. I don't want a soggy cake so a double layer of foil is the perfect safeguard.
In a double boiler, melt 1 lb (16 oz) of bittersweet chocolate with 1 lb (2 sticks) of butter. Add the zest of one orange and 1/4 cup of orange liqueur. A high quality orange spirit is necessary for this cake. Avoid the bottom shelf cheap triple sec. Artificial orange flavor will create a chemical flavor that is just overpowering and not pleasant in this cake. A curaçao made with real orange peel is perfect for this cake.
While the chocolate and butter is melting, in a large bowl with a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, whip 8 cold eggs until doubled in quantity, about 5-6 minutes. This is what gives this flourless cake it's loft and lightness.
When the chocolate and butter is melted and combined but not too hot, slowly fold it into the whipped eggs. Pour the batter into prepared springform pan.
Set the pan in a roasting dish and pour boiling water around the springform pan, halfway up the sides. Carefully place the roasting dish in preheated oven and bake 20-25 minutes or until the center is set. Refrigerate finished cake overnight before serving.
To make the raspberry sauce, combine 1 cup of fresh raspberries in a saucepan with 1/2 cup of sugar, the juice and zest of one orange, and a tablespoon of orange liqueur. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer until fruit breaks down. Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds.
Return the raspberry sauce to a saucepan and simmer over medium heat until reduced by half and consistency is syrupy. Refrigerate to cool before using.
Plate cooled cake over raspberry sauce with a dollop of fresh whipped cream and enjoy every decadent, citrusy, sweet bite!
Recipe
Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Sauce
By Land of Noms, March 08, 2015
Decadent, rich, yet still light this flourless chocolate cake is a showstopping dessert.
Chocolate, gluten free, citrus, raspberry
Ingredients
- 8 cold eggs
- 1 lb of bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- 1 lb (2 sticks) of butter
- 1/4 cup of orange liqueur
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 cup of fresh raspberries
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- Juice and zest of 1 orange
- 1 tablespoon of orange liqueur
Directions
- Preheat oven to 325 and prepare springform pan - line bottom with parchment paper, grease sides and bottom, and wrap bottom in tinfoil
- In a double boiler, melt together chocolate, butter, orange zest, and orange liqueur
- While chocolate is melting, beat eggs until doubled in volume, about 5-6 minutes
- Fold together eggs and melted chocolate and pour into prepared pan
- Place pan in a roasting dish and pour boiling water around springform pan, halfway up sides of cake pan
- Bake cake in water bath 20-25 minutes or until center is set, refrigerate overnight before serving
- To make raspberry sauce, combine raspberries, sugar, orange zest and orange juice, and orange liqueur in a small saucepan
- Bring berries to a simmer and cook until broken down and starting to bubble
- Strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove seeds
- Return sauce to a pan and cook over medium heat until reduced by half and syrupy, cool before using
- Slice cooled cake and serve with raspberry sauce and fresh whipped cream
Sharing our culinary adventures in Cascadia with simple, sustainable & satisfying eats. Bon Appétit!
