Chocolate Flourless Cake

Brandon chose a chocolate flourless cake for me to make for his birthday this year. It is very rich and feeds a lot of people, so he doesn't get it all too often.



I served it with fresh whipped cream and some raspberries. It was a hit. It's texture is more like cheesecake than regular cake, but it kind-of melts in your mouth. If you love chocolate, this is for you!

Ingredients

8 eggs

2 sticks butter

1 lb high quality bittersweet chocolate (I use Ghirardelli)

1/4 c. Kahlua (hazelnut liqueur would work well also)

Directions

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. Melt chocolate with butter.  If doing this in the microwave, make sure to use 50% power.  You want the temperature of the chocolate to be about 115 degrees.  Mix in liqueur.
3. Beat eggs with wire whip attachment in mixer at medium speed until volume doubles, about 5 minutes.
4. Fold 1/3 of egg foam into chocolate mixture using large rubber spatula until only a few streaks of egg are visible; fold in half of remaining foam, then last of remaining foam, until mixture is totally homogenous.  DO NOT OVER MIX!
5. Scrape batter into prepared springform pan and smooth surface with rubber spatula. Set roasting pan on oven rack and pour 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 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)
6. 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.