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Everyone who loves chocolate knows that flourless chocolate cakes are the best, because they’re all about that chocolate. I love this cake. Rich, yet quite light due to the beaten egg whites, tastes decadent, and very easy to make. It is not a dense flourless cake that will leave you needing an afternoon nap, but a perfect piece of chocolatey goodness to finish off your meal. Serve as is or with vanilla ice cream, crème anglaise or whipped cream.
Serves 8
Ingredients:
200 g / 8 oz hazelnuts, blanched, peeled and roasted
200 g / 8 oz butter, cut into cubes
200 g / 8 oz dark chocolate
6 eggs, separated
200 g / 8 oz sugar
3 tablespoons hazelnut liqueur or amaretto (or fresh orange juice)
ganache topping:
150 g / 5 1/2 oz dark chocolate
50 g / 2 oz hazelnuts
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 180 C / 360 F
Butter a 22 cm / 9″ springform cake pan
Place the hazelnuts in a food processor and pulse until they are reduced to an almost powder like consistency
Melt the butter and the chocolate in a bain marie or over a pan of boiling water
Add the cut up hazelnuts and allow to cool for 5 minutes
Whisk the egg yolks and the sugar with an electric beater for at least 5 minutes
Add to the chocolate mixture and mix well
Add the liqueur to the mixture
Whisk the egg whites until stiff
Add a few tablespoons of the egg whites to the mixture and mix well
Then delicately fold in the rest of the whites with a rubber spatula
Pour the mixture into the cake pan
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes
Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool in the cake pan for at least 30 minutes
Remove the springform pan and allow to cool completely
Melt the chocolate in a bain marie or over boiling water
Pour the chocolate over the cake
Sprinkle with the remaining hazelnuts
Enjoy!
Maison Travers 