Individual Flourless Chocolate Cakes
By: Eva Taylor
Published: Thursday, December 10, 2009 - 4:44pm

Ingredients




8 ounces top-quality bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate
6 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup cocoa
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon espresso powder
4 x egg whites (I generally use Naturegg Simply Egg Whites!)
4 tablespoons brown sugar (I have also used Splenda Brown Sugar)

Preparation

1 Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter and sugar 8 individual (do not use muffin pan) muffin cups or ramekins. 2 Melt the chocolate and butter together in the top of a double boiler or in a microwave, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from the heat and sift in the cocoa, whisk until smooth. 3 Meanwhile beat the egg whites in a stand mixer or by hand until they form soft peaks, add the sugar and beat a few moments more. 4 Fold one third of the egg whites into the chocolate with a rubber spatula, thoroughly incorporating. Gently fold in the rest. You may make the batter to this point and refrigerate it for several days. 5 Fill the cups about two thirds full. Bake until they have risen and cracked on top but are still a bit runny in the center, about 7 or 8 minutes. They’ll take a moment longer if you made the batter in advanced and refrigerated it. 6 Let the cakes sit for a few minutes then turn them out and serve immediately with lots of whipped cream.

About


Timing Hints: The batter can be made several days in advance and refrigerated. Make sure the cakes come to room temperature before you bake, makes for a better cake and faster baking. Makes 6 to 8 cakes.
This recipe came from Chef Michael Smith on the Food Network Canada . I’ve been making this delicious recipe for years. It’s great because you can make it ahead and just pop them in the oven just before you want to serve dessert (8-10 minutes, max!).
Drizzle with a balsamic reduction...YUM!
Note that this recipe may be cut in half successfully! Use smaller ramekins for 4 servings! Check out my blog .