Decadent Flourless Chocolate Cake with Chai Cream
By: Leah Rodrigues
Published: October 12, 2011

Who doesn't love chocolate cake?  This flourless chocolate cake with chai whipped cream is a rich dessert that everyone will love this holiday season.  The absence of flour makes this cake light and delicate.  The chai whipped cream is a twist on the classic whipped cream topping. If you are feeling really adventurous, add a dash of ancho chili pepper to the mix.  Chocolate loves spice and I think you are really going to love this cake.
Flourless Chocolate Cake with Chai Whipped Cream



Cake Ingredients:
8 tablespoons oz. semisweet chocolate OR 8 oz. bittersweet chocolate
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
4 cold organic eggs, separated, careful not to get any of the yolk in the white
1 teaspoon instant coffee, dissolved in 2t water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar or 1 T lemon juice
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
 
Chai Whipped Cream Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
2 tablespoons powdered sugar, sifted
1 1/2 tablespoons Original Oregon Chai mix or mix of cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves
 
Directions:
 





Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place an 8-inch springform pan on a sheet of parchment paper and draw a circle around the circumference of the pan. Then cut the circle out. Place in the springform pan and butter the pan. Add 1 T flour and tap out any excess.


   
Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof glass bowl, as well as the 8 T of sugar, if using unsweetened sugar as I did in a double boiler. Reserve the 1/3 cup of sugar until later. Set aside chocolate and butter mixture to cool slightly, about 5 minutes.


   
In a separate small bowl, combine the 4 egg yolks, dissolved coffee and vanilla extract and whisk until just blended. Combine this yolk mixture with the chocolate mixture whisk until well blended.


   
In a very clean, large glass bowl beat the 4 egg whites on medium-high and add the cream of tartar or lemon juice and beat until soft peaks form. This should take about 3 minutes. Beat another minute while slowly adding the 1/3 cup of granulated sugar. Then beat 1 more minute. The whites should be stiff. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture in 3 different batches until no white streaks remain.


   
Pour the cake batter into the prepared springform pan and smooth the top. Bake in the oven on a center rack for about 20 minutes. The cake is done when a knife inserted comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for at least 1 hour. Run a knife along the edge of the pan to loosen the cake and then release the sides of the springform pan and lift off. Use a spatula to separate the cake from the bottom and lift off the parchment paper.
 


In a clean glass bowl, whip the whipping cream until it starts to form peaks and add the chai and powdered sugar. Continue to whip until soft peaks form. Do not over whip or it will turn into butter.


   
Serve with a dollop of chai-spiced whipped cream.
 
Editor's note: as this cake uses flour as dusting in the pan, we recommend alternate flours for our gluten free readers.

Comments:
Puzzled
October 13, 2011

Ummm ... "Flourless" to me means "no flour" -- wheat or otherwise, which on a health-enforced gluten-free diet is a must, so I jumped at this.  I love chocolate and flourless chocolate cake -- WONDERFUL -- but the last ingredient in the Cake ingredients has me stumped.  It is only 1 tablespoon, so I guess you could substitute white rice flour or even almond meal (which might give it a nice twist) ... but, even so, if gluten avoidance is a must in your daily dietary life, this could be considered false advertising -- just saying.
Sheri Wetherell

Thanks for your note. I added a disclaimer at the end of the post for our gluten free readers. We specifically did not categorize (or tag) this recipe in our Gluten Free section because of the flour used in the pan, which is typical even in a flourless cloud cake. As you said, those following a GF diet can obviously substitute the dusting flour with a GF-safe alternative.
Please note that we publish articles on a daily basis that are specifically taylored to a gluten free diet - all written by our editors with gluten intolerance and Celiac. You can find these articles in Health & Nutrition under Gluten Free & Fodo Allergies here: http://www.foodista.com/blog/gluten-freeWe hope you enjoy all the recipes we share there!
Lori

Puzzled - I am not the author here, but in cases where "flourless chocolate cake" still calls for a touch of flour (usually to coat a pan) I grind up almonds to powder in place of flour in these cases...  But keep in mind, this is still a flourless chocolate cake because it is not a "gluten-free" cake, and therefore, the flour is negligible.  I know many people think "gluten-free" these days - particularly if it applies to them suffering from Celiac - however, this isn't a gluten-free site.  Just an FYI that you can always use almond or other nut flours (or pulverize your own) when the purpose of the flour is NOT to replace gluten or to contribute gluten's properties.