Let Them Eat (Flourless) Cake

Today is Bastille day, and so I thought we’d do a little something française (do you like my use of french? A french degree wasn’t wasted on me!!). When I was sixteen I was an exchange student in rural France, so in theory I should have a ton of french recipes to share. Unfortunately, I ate all of my lunches in the school cafeteria. I am, however, an expert in chocolate croissants and a few meals made of rabbit. I am in love with french food, but I’m still figuring out how to make most of the recipes I love.

When I was trying to figure out what to make for today, my husband said we had to have cake! The cake that my host mom would make most often was a yogurt apple cake, but that didn’t seem exciting enough for today’s festivities, so I did a quick google search and came up with something that I think everyone will enjoy!

This is your basic flourless cake. It doesn’t need icing, but you can add a dollop of cream or ice cream. Or, you can serve it with berries and a coulis. I got this presentation idea, ironically enough, from my friend Gaelle, who I met in France. She sent me a picture from a dinner party, and I thought I’d copy it here.

Beware, this cake isn’t for the faint of heart. It is chocolate to the extreme. Don’t serve a huge piece, unless you have a hungry four year old on your hands! Bon Appetit!

Ali El Safy’s Gateau Au Chocolat

adapted from cookeatshare.com

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate
• 2/3 cup unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 5 eggs, separated

Directions:

1. Combine the chocolate, butter and sugar in the top of a double boiler placed over simmering water.
2. Melt over medium heat, stirring until the ingredients are thouroughly blended. Set the mixture aside to cool.
3. Beat the egg whites in a large bowl just until they form peaks. Do not over-beat.
4. Whisk the egg yolks into the chocolate.
5. Add 1/3 of the egg whites to the batter and mix vigorously.
6. Gently fold in the remaining egg whites just until no white streaks remain.
7. Pour the batter into a greased 9″ round pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven until firm – about 35 min. (I used tart pans, and so I baked my cakes for about 20 minutes).
8. Cool on a rack for several hours before unmolding.