I’ve been dying to make this recipe for AGES. This is a really good recipe, and may I just say of course it is because its a Martha recipe… and when is she ever wrong? Never. That and its gluten-free (because theres no flour in it- nudge, nudge Jamie!). Its a very light (very VERY LIGHT), elegant, gourmet recipe but its also a good recipe to make if you’re low on flour and sugar and still need (or want) to bake. It makes a dense chocolate cake that almost melts in your mouth, but yet is incredibly airy. Its not a French recipe (although I do have one of those, but it requires Grand Marnier and I don’t have any) but it tastes very French. Oui, oui!

This may be my first, but it is certainly not my last “le gâteau au chocolat sans la farine…”

It’s a very delicate, ladylike cake

…

There are infinite ways to make it interesting; you could “stencil” a shape on the top (place a cutout of a shape on the middle of the cake, sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and then remove the shape… voila!), coat it in melted chocolate and raspberries, make a pool of chocolate/caramel/white chocolate/raspberry sauce for it to sit in, etc, etc.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

Ingrédients:

• 1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (or 8 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate)
• 6 large egg whites
• 6 large egg yolks
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter + 1 tablespoon for coating the pan
• ½ cup granulated sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees F, with rack in the center.
2. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Place butter and chocolate in a large bowl. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring each time, until melted. Cool slightly. Whisk in egg yolks.
3. In another bowl, beat egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add in granulated sugar; beat until stiff and glossy.
4. Whisk ¼ of egg whites into chocolate mixture. Gently fold that into remaining egg whites.
5. Pour into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake until cake pulls away from sides of pan and is just set in the center, roughly 45-50 minutes.
6. Cool completely on wire rack.
7. Serve dusted with confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, a dollop of fresh whipped cream, or whatever you wish.

Yum. La bonne vie!!