Flourless chocolate cake is a baked dessert made with foam of whole egg and melted chocolate. It is different from regular cakes because it does not contain any flour, and hence, it is good for people on a gluten-free diet. This type of cake has many regional variations with the inclusion of different additional ingredients. It bears a deep brown color, a dense texture and a rich chocolate flavor. A topping of white whipped cream looks visually appealing against the dark color of the cake.
Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe Overview
The following is a French recipe for preparing the cake-
Ingredients: Ingredients required for preparing the cake include semisweet chocolate, sugar, butter and eggs.
Method of Preparation: To prepare the cake, chocolate is melted with butter and a well beaten mixture of egg and sugar is folded into this. The batter is then, baked in a preheated oven. The freshly baked sticky cake can be optionally covered with a chocolate glaze, which is prepared by heating chocolate with unsalted butter. The cake is covered completely with the glaze and then, chilled to make its slicing easier.
Serving and Eating Flourless Chocolate Cake
The cake is served warm or cold, usually with whipped cream topping. Before serving, the cake is often dusted with powdered sugar while the white cream is given a generous sprinkling of the contrasting cocoa powder.
Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe Variations
The basic recipe of the cake has many fancier variations with addition of other ingredients like almonds or flavorings. A Scandinavian version of the recipe includes ground almonds, milk and baking powder as additional ingredients. For a spicier flavor of the cake, ground cinnamon can be added. Almond extract can also be added to enhance the almond flavor of the cake. Instant coffee and vanilla extract are also used to flavor the cake.
Nutritional Information on Flourless Chocolate Cakes
The cake is a delicious source of instant energy. A 36g serving of the cake contains about 151 calories, 14.2g total fat, of which 7.8g is saturated, 62mg cholesterol, 60mg sodium, 7.5g carbohydrates and 3.2g sugar. The flourless chocolate cake makes for a perfect choice for people who wish to derive all the goodness of a chocolate cake sans the gluten content.
Trivia
Molten chocolate cake is similar to flourless chocolate cake that contains little or no flour. Its egg matrix is allowed to collapse or fall and hence, it is also called ‘fallen chocolate cake’. It has been a popular feature of the Jean-Georges Vongerichten's chain of restaurants.
