Flourless Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache Glaze

January 27th is National Chocolate Cake Day…aka, the perfect excuse to bake this cake!  This is the best flourless chocolate cake! It’s decadent, rich, and fudgy. It’s very easy to make and doesn’t even require a mixer.  This chocolate cake is gluten free which is perfect for those with allergies or great for passover. The chocolate glaze is the perfect compliment, but you could also serve the cake with a little whipped cream or berry sauce. Anyways, enough talking about it…let’s bake!

You probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry and fridge.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a round cake pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, and grease it, too.

Put 1 cup of the chcolate chips and 8 Tablespoons of butter in a large microwave-safe bowl.  Heat until the butter is melted and the chips are soft.  I microwaved mine for 30 seconds, stirred, microwaved for 15 seconds and stirred again.

Add the sugar, salt, espresso powder, and vanilla to the melted chocolate.  Stir to combine.

Whisk in 3 eggs until combined.

Add the cocoa powder and mix until combined.  Do not over mix.

Spoon the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes.  Loosen the cake by running a knife along the edges.

Line a platter with parchment paper.  Place the platter on top of the cake and flip the cake onto the platter.

The ‘Moment of Truth’…remove the cake pan.  This step always makes me nervous, but this cake came out perfectly!

While the cake cools, make the ganache glaze.  Microwave 1 cup chocolate chips with the heavy cream.  You want to heat the cream, but do not simmer it.  I microwaved mine for 30 seconds, stirred the glaze, and microwaved for 15 more seconds.  Stir to combine.

Once the cake has cooled, pour the chocolate ganache glaze over the cake allowing it to spill over the edges.  This is where the parchment paper comes in handy.

Once the glaze has set/cooled, you can remove the parchment paper and serve.

We got a little impatient and cut into our cake while it was still a little warm!

Ingredients:

Cake:
1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 to 2 teaspoons espresso powder, optional
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, optional
3 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch-process cocoa preferred
Ganache Glaze:
1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions:

1) Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease an 8″ or 9″ round cake pan; cut a piece of parchment or waxed paper to fit, grease it, and lay it in the bottom of the pan.

2) To make the cake: Put the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the butter is melted and the chips are soft. Stir until the chips melt, reheating briefly if necessary. You can also do this over a burner set at very low heat. Transfer the melted chocolate/butter to a mixing bowl.

3) Stir in the sugar, salt, espresso powder, and vanilla. Espresso enhances chocolate’s flavor much as vanilla does; using 1 teaspoon will simply enhance the flavor, while 2 teaspoons will lend a hint of mocha to the cake.

4) Add the eggs, beating briefly until smooth. Add the cocoa powder, and mix just to combine.

5) Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.

6) Bake the cake for 20-25 minutes; the top will have formed a thin crust.

7) Remove it from the oven, and cool it in the pan for 5 minutes.

8) Loosen the edges of the pan with a table knife or nylon spreader, and turn it out onto a serving plate. The top will now be on the bottom.  Allow the cake to cool completely before glazing.

9) To make the glaze: Combine the chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the cream is very hot, but not simmering. Remove from the microwave, and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is completely smooth.

10) Spoon the glaze over the cake, spreading it to drip over the sides a bit. Allow the glaze to set for several hours before serving the cake.

Note: You could also garnish the cake with toasted almonds slices!

Enjoy!!

Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour