Flourless Chocolate Souffle Cake Recipe

This is my favorite chocolate cake recipe. Completely flour-free, it will resemble a souffle when you take it out of the oven and will settle gradually as it cools. The result is a deeply flavorful, melt-in-your-mouth cake. I've been making it for almost twenty years, and I think maybe it originally came from the much missed Gourmet , but I have gilded the lily over time, adding my own touches. You can use whatever berries you like on top, or none at all. I happen to love raspberries and chocolate together, so that's how I make it. If you're allergic to dairy, it's still heavenly even without the whipped cream. While it doesn't contain flour, it does contain nuts and egg whites. You'll notice that it calls for very little oil. The nuts give it most of the oil it needs as well as acting, in combination with the cocoa, as the "flour" for this recipe.

It serves 8 (or two people in love, or one person nursing a broken heart).

Ingredients

~non-stick vegetable oil spray
~14 Tablespoons sugar (it's easier in this recipe to think in terms of Tablespoons because you divide them)
~2/3 cup walnuts, toasted (I toss them in a dry pan over low heat for a few minutes.)
~1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
~3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
~8 large egg whites
~pinch of salt
~powdered sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Line the bottom of an eight-inch springform pan with parchment or wax paper.
3. Spray pan and paper with oil.
4. Sprinkle with 2 Tablespoons of the sugar.
5. Finely grind the toasted walnuts with 2 Tablespoons of the sugar in a food processor or blender. Transfer to a large bowl.
6. Mix in 10 Tablespoons sugar, the cocoa, then oil.
7. Beat egg whites and salt in a large bowl just until soft peaks form.
8. Fold the whites into the the cocoa mixture in three additions. Spoon batter into the pan and smooth the top.
9. Bake until cake puffs and a tester comes out with moist crumbs--approximately 30 minutes. Do not over bake! This is a moist, souffle-like cake.
10. The cake will fall as it cools. Cut around the side and remove the side of the pan to let it cool.
11. At this point you can serve it with just a sprinkle of 10X sugar, but I like to add the following:

Accompaniments (all of this is optional, but you won't be sorry if you add any or all of them!):
~whipping cream
~splash of vanilla
~powdered sugar
~fresh mint leaves
~raspberries
~a Tablespoon or two of seedless raspberry or currant jam (I just press my seedy jam through a sieve.)
~a few whole toasted walnuts
~gorgeous dark (or white, if you prefer) chocolate to shave over the top

1. Whip the cream in a well-chilled metal bowl with a well-chilled wire attachment. As it thickens, add in a splash of vanilla and a little 10X sugar to taste. I whip it almost until stiff peaks form.
2. Top the throughly cooled cake with the whipped cream.
3. Melt a couple of Tablespoons of the preserves and toss gently with firm, fresh raspberries.
4. Decorate the cake with the raspberries and fresh mint leaves. Sometimes I even shave a little dark chocolate over the whole cake.
5. When I slice the cake, I often toss a few of the whole toasted walnuts onto the plate, along with an extra raspberry or two. I love the idea of using an ingredient from the cake as a garnish, plus they're delicious!