Realistically, this is a most-things-less cake, as it only has 3 (or 4) ingredients! It is, as you’ll guess from the ingredient list, super rich – one of my coworkers said it was like injecting cacao directly into your veins – and it has a similar texture to cheesecake. Hmm, making an Oreo crust under this is an option for the future, perhaps…?

My mom sent me this recipe, and it does have a fourth ingredient, coffee, but both she and I left that out, so, while I can’t tell you how it is with coffee, I can tell you it’s fantastic without!

Ingredients:

• 8 large eggs
• 1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2″ pieces
• 1/4 cup coffee (optional!)

Adjust the rack in your oven to a lower-middle position, and preheat the oven to 325. Grease an 8″ springform, line the bottom with parchment, then grease again. Wrap the outside of the pan with two crossed pieces of aluminum foil to help prevent any leaks, then put the springform in a large pan (like a 9X13″). Set some water to boil.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs (both white and yolk) until doubled in volume, about 5 minutes. This may seem like it’s not going anywhere at first, and you don’t want to reach stiff peaks (I don’t think you even could, with the yolks in there) but it will gradually grow significantly as more air is worked in.

Combine the chocolate and butter (and coffee, if using) in the bowl of a double boiler over just-simmering water (or just in a pot over very low heat, if you don’t have a double boiler). Cook until both butter and chocolate are completely melted and can be stirred together totally smooth.

Gently fold 1/3 of the beaten eggs with a rubber spatula, stirring gently until completely combined. Repeat with each of the other two thirds, again stirring gently to not deflate the eggs.

Gently pour the batter into the prepared springform pan, and smooth the top with your rubber spatula.

Pour the boiling water into the outer pan until it comes up to about half-way up the sides of the springform, then carefully transfer the whole thing to the oven. Bake 22-25 minutes, then remove from the oven, take the springform out of the larger pan, and let it cool on a wire rack. At this point the center of the cake will still seem VERY jiggly and uncooked, but as it cools it will firm up.

Once it has reached room temperature*, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least four hours before serving.

This would probably be good with vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream if you hadn’t just thrown your whipped cream out so you didn’t have to move it to your new house…

*If you don’t have time to let it cool fully, put some paper towel over the cake pan and under the plastic wrap, so that as water condenses on the top it doesn’t rain back onto the surface of the cake.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

I’m sure this is elsewhere on the internet, but my mom sent me the recipe!

• 8 large eggs
• 1 pound bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/2″ pieces
• 1/4 cup coffee (optional)

Adjust the rack in your oven to a lower-middle position, and preheat the oven to 325. Grease an 8″ springform, line the bottom with parchment, then grease again. Wrap the outside of the pan with two crossed pieces of aluminum foil to help prevent any leaks, then put the springform in a large pan. Set some water to boil.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs (both white and yolk) until doubled in volume, about 5 minutes.

Combine the chocolate and butter (and coffee, if using) in the bowl of a double boiler over just-simmering water. Cook until both butter and chocolate are completely melted and can be stirred together totally smooth. Gently fold 1/3 of the beaten eggs with a rubber spatula, stirring gently until completely combined. Repeat with each of the other two thirds.

Gently pour the batter into the prepared springform pan, and smooth the top with your rubber spatula. Pour the boiling water into the outer pan until it comes up to about half-way up the sides of the springform, then carefully transfer the whole thing to the oven. Bake 22-25 minutes, then remove from the oven, take the springform out of the larger pan, and let it cool on a wire rack. Once it has reached room temperature, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least four hours before serving.