French chocolate cake – fluffy, moist and full of rich chocolate. This almost flourless cake has a light texture and is simple, yet elegant. A great choice for chocolate lovers. It is delicious served with a simple dusting of powdered sugar, but will also fit nicely with some ice cream, whipped cream or sour cream.
Ingredients
- 250 g (9 oz) dark, bittersweet chocolate, broken or cut in small pieces
- 225 g (8 oz or 1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
- 90 g (1/2 cup) sugar
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) orange-flavoured liqueur or brandy
- 5 eggs (room temperature)
- 15 g (1 tbsp) all-purpose flour
- and some powdered sugar for dusting
Equipment
- Springform cake pan 23 cm (9×2 inches).
Directions
- Grease the cake form with some oil and butter.
- Cut the parchment paper bigger than the bottom of the pan and insert it in the cake form. The cake will be baked in water bath, therefore the sides of the parchment paper will help to prevent water from getting to the cake.
- Grease also the parchment paper.
- Put aluminium foil around the cake form, creating like a cover for the cake form from outside.
- Set the oven to heat to 180° C or 400° F.
- Put butter in a small pot on the stove and heat on medium low to melt the butter.
- Add in the pot also sugar and chocolate.
- Slowly stir until everything melts and is smooth.
- Remove the pot from the stove and let it cool a little.
- Separate egg yolks from egg whites in two big bowls.
- Beat the egg yolks a little till they are lighter and fluffy.
- Add flour to the egg yolks and mix till the batter is smooth.
- Add the orange liqueur to the chocolate/butter mixture and mix in.
- Gradually add the chocolate/butter mixture to the egg yolks.
- Add a pinch of salt to the egg whites and beat the egg whites with a clean and dry whisk till they are stiff.
- Gradually fold the egg whites in the batter.
- Pour the batter in the prepared cake form.
- Put a deeper baking tray in the oven and pour some boiling water in it.
- Put the cake in the oven and add more water in the baking tray, so that water is about 2 cm deep.
- Bake for 30 minutes. The cake should look cooked and the middle feel soft.
- Remove the cake from the oven and remove the aluminium foil.
- Let the cake cool a bit.
- Once the cake has cooled, remove it from the cake form and flip it on a big plate. That way you will have smooth top for the cake.
- Decorate the cake as you wish and enjoy!
