Flourless Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Ganache Frosting

Chocolate is perfect any time, any day and anywhere and what could be better than a 4 ingredient flourless chocolate cake with chocolate ganache and fresh berries? Almost nothing in my opinion!

This cake is so easy and so delicious I think it may become your favorite chocolate dessert to serve yourself or for parties.

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Recipe from Cooks Illustrated 1998

Ingredients:

8 cold eggs

1 lb. dark chocolate chopped

2 sticks of butter, cut into 16 pieces

1/4 cup coffee, espresso

Ganache:

9 oz. dark chocolate chopped

1 cup heavy cream

Place chopped chocolate in bowl. Heat cream in a small saucepan until bubbles form at the rim. Pour cream over chocolate, let sit a few minutes then whisk until smooth. Allow to cool a bit before pouring over cake.

Cake Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325, and place rack in the lower middle position. Bring a kettle of water to boil, set aside.  Grease pan, and line bottom with parchment paper. Take 8 inch spring-form pan and wrap bottom and sides tightly with tin foil, set inside a large roasting pan.

2. In a stand mixer, beat 8 eggs on medium-high, for approximately 5 minutes or until volume doubles. 

3. In a double boiler, melt the butter and the chocolate, once melted whisk in the coffee. 

4. Using a rubber spatula, fold 1/3 of the egg foam into the melted chocolate, fold until a few streaks of white appear. Then fold in 1/2 of the egg foam and and finally fold in last 1/2 of foam and mix until mixture is completely blended.

5. Pour chocolate mixture into the foil wrapped pan which is sitting in the roaster. Place the pan into the oven, then carefully pour the boiling water into the roaster until half way up the side of the spring-form pan. Be careful not to splash yourself or get water into the batter.

5. Bake for 22-25 minutes or until a slight crust forms on the top, and the internal temperature reads 140 on an instant read thermometer.

6. Remove spring-form pan from water bath, set pan onto rack to cool to room temperature. Then cover and refrigerate overnight. 

7. 30 minutes before serving, run knife along sides of pan and then release the spring. Invert onto plate and remove parchment, then invert again onto serving platter. 

8. Pour ganache into center of the cake and let it run over the sides. Place in refrigerator to set, then garnish with berries.

You can skip the ganache and dust with powdered sugar and berries.

The cake is buttery, creamy, and chocolaty, almost like a mouse but a cake. It is rich and delicious and this one recipe will serve between 12-16 people! A small slice goes a long way. You can serve it with berries, ice cream or whipped cream, any an all options would be fabulous!

Enjoy! 

Browned Butter Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispie Treats with Chocolate Ganache Topping

Is there anything better than a cereal treat? They are hands down some of the easiest and most favorite treat/dessert that I make. Throw in a little browned butter, peanut butter cups and chocolate and you have created a decadent, delicious treat!

Browned Butter Peanut Butter Cup Rice Krispie Treats with Ganache Frosting.

Ingredients:

10 oz bag of marshmallows

1 stick of browned butter

5 cups of Rice Krispie cereal

1 cup of peanut butter melted

1 bag of peanut butter cup mini's

8 oz bag of chocolate chips

1 cup of heavy cream

Directions:

Prepare 8 x8" pan with cooking spray. Melt butter in a small pan over low to medium heat. Once melted watch the butter and stir until the butter foams and turns brown. Be very careful it burns easily.

Add the marshmallows to the browned butter and stir until melted. Add the rice krispie cereal and stir until combined. Then pour and press into the prepared pan. While warm sprinkle the top with the mini-peanut butter cups. 

In a small bowl add peanut butter and melt in the microwave, about 30-50 seconds. Pour the peanut butter over the mini-peanut butter cups then set pan aside.

Pour chocolate chips into a bowl and set aside. In a small pan over low heat warm the heavy cream until small bubbles appear around the edges.  Then pour cream over the chocolate chips, wait a few minutes until the cream melts the chips and then whisk until smooth, pour mixture over the cereal treats and smooth out. Then refrigerate for a least 30 minutes, cut and enjoy!

The nutty flavor of the browned butter, the creamy marshmallows and crispy cereal combined with the peanut nut butter and chocolate... Frankly there are no words to tell you how good these are, they are a little like Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and an Outrageous candy bar combined. 

Enjoy!

Ganache 101, Lessons from Martha Stewart

The holidays are a crazy time for everyone, trying to get the presents, wrap, cook, clean, bake, decorate and a myriad of other things. I myself am always looking for shortcuts or simple ideas to save time. In the December issue of Martha Stewart she has a fabulous article title Ganache 101.

Martha explains that with a little chocolate and some heavy whipping cream you have the makings for some delicious and easy but fancy desserts. From these two simple ingredients you can make a frosting, a filling, a glaze, and a truffle.

The Basic Recipe:

Take 8 ounces of quality chocolate and chop into uniform pieces with a serrated knife, place into a bowl. Then take one cup of heavy cream and heat to just a boil. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate pieces. Let stand for 10 minutes. DO NOT STIR!!!!

Whisk the mixture until smooth and shiny to break any lumps and to emulsify the chocolate and the cream.

Scrape the side and bottom of the bowl to be sure to get all of the mixture incorporated.

To use the ganache:

While its warm you can pour it over a cake as a glaze, you can fill tart shells and make a filling.

At room temperature you can beat the ganache until fluffy and use as a whipped filling or frosting.

And finally once chilled you can use it to make truffles!

All of these are easy and tasty additions to your holiday baking. Do you have any ideas for using ganache? Do you make your own truffles? I would love to hear some of your ideas, please if you would like to share leave your ideas in the comment section.

Have a wonderful day and enjoy your family and friends during this special time of the year. Happy Holidays!