Flourless Chocolate Cake

As promised here is the recipe for the flourless chocolate cake. The jury is still out on whether this is absolutely phenomenal or just pretty good. Either way it was a nice little treat and the meringue is delicious.

Ingredients

For the cake:

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces, 

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped

6 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

6 large eggs

3/4 cup turbinado sugar

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup stout beer (we used Guinness)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

*Note: Turbinado sugar is "Sugar in the Raw." 

For the meringue:

2 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon light corn syrup

1 cup granulated sugar

3 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Pinch of salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Procedure:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees

2. Butter the sides and bottom of a 9 inch spring-form pan

3. Line base of pan with parchment paper and snap together

4. Using a double-boiler set up, melt the bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate until melted

5. Remove from heat and set to side.

6. Put eggs, turbinado sugar and salt in a stand mixer bowl

7. Warm bowl over the heat of the double boiler base

8. Whisk until warm

9. Remove from heat and lock into stand mixer

10. Beat on medium speed with whisk attachment until tripled in volume

11. Meanwhile, bring beer and vanilla to a low boil

12. Reduce mixer speed to low and add in beer mixture

13. Once incorporated, add chocolate

14. Gradually beat in butter until well mixed

15. Pour into pan and bake for approximately 35 minutes.

16. Allow to cool for one hour before attempting to remove from pan.

Meringue:

1. Microwave chocolate, butter and corn syrup for 30 seconds until melted*

2. Whisk sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar, salt and 1/3 cup of water in a bowl

3. Put bowl over simmering water and beat with a hand-held mixer gradually increasing in speed to form soft peaks

4. Remove from heat and continue beating until stiff peaks arrive

5. Fold in vanilla

6. Fold in chocolate

7. Slap on top of cake.

*REMEMBER that chocolate can appear normal shaped but actually be melted. Be sure to give this mix a stir after the initial 30 seconds. If it still needs more heat, pop it back in for another 30 seconds and then try again.

Pictures

Chocolate chopped up

Spring-form pan lined with parchment

Beer and vanilla preparing to boil

Eggs, sugar and salt whirling about

Incorporating the butter

Mommy's little helper

Meringue base

Off the heat being whipped about

And on top of the cake

So it's not nearly as pretty as it could be, but I'm ok with that. It was a suitable Valentine's Day dessert. Honestly though, I think I could skip the cake and just eat the meringue. :)

Do you eat dessert? How often?