Flourless chocolate cake

An intensely chocolatey dessert made for grown-ups. This cake is baked not only without flour, but also without popular substitutes such as ground nuts – and even without butter. Only a few ingredients are needed, with the main ones being chocolate, eggs and double cream. Baileys liqueur is added both to the cake and to the light cream topping. Served with strawberries, this dessert is wonderfully rich and melt-in-the-mouth. To achieve its perfect texture, the cake should be baked in advance and thoroughly chilled, so it’s best prepared the day before serving. The result is a truly indulgent, deeply chocolatey treat.

Ingredients for flourless chocolate cake:

• 375 g dark chocolate, chopped
• 60 ml freshly brewed espresso
• 3 tablespoons Baileys liqueur
• 4 large eggs
• 125 g sugar
• 185 ml double cream, chilled
• 55 g caster sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Line the base of a 23 cm round tin with baking paper. Wrap the outside of the tin twice with aluminium foil – the cake will be baked in a water bath.*

Place the chopped chocolate, espresso and Baileys in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of gently simmering water (the bowl should not touch the water). Melt slowly, stirring until smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool slightly.

In the bowl of a mixer, beat the eggs with 125 g sugar until very light and fluffy. The mixture should nearly triple in volume and fall from the whisk in a ribbon that briefly sits on the surface before disappearing. In a separate bowl, whip the double cream with the caster sugar and vanilla until softly whipped. Slowly pour the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, folding gently with a spatula until combined and smooth. Fold in the whipped cream carefully. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and level the top.

Bake the cake in a water bath at 180°C for about 50–60 minutes. A skewer inserted into the cake may come out coated with chocolate, but should not show raw batter. Remove from the oven, cool completely, then refrigerate overnight.

To serve:

• 250 ml double cream, chilled
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar
• 2 tablespoons Baileys, chilled
• 100 g strawberries, sliced

Whip the cream with the icing sugar until thick. At the end, gently fold in the chilled Baileys. Spread the cream over the chilled cake just before serving and arrange the sliced strawberries on top. For neat slices, cut the cake with a hot knife (dip it in boiling water for 2 seconds, then wipe dry).

*Water bath method:

Place the cake tin inside a larger roasting tin or ovenproof dish. Pour boiling water into the outer tin until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake tin. Baking in this humid environment helps the cake cook evenly and keeps its texture perfectly smooth and creamy.

Enjoy!

Recipe source: “Crave, a passion for chocolate” Maureen McKeon.