We all need a go-to chocolate cake recipe. Fact. That no-fail recipe we could prepare eyes-closed, with full-trust placed in the delicious outcome & using mostly pantry ingredients. Because truth be told; it doesn’t get any more pantry-friendly than this chocolate cake: eggs, sugar, grass-fed butter & good quality dark chocolate. That’s it. Really! I don’t know about you guys, but those are all steady staples in my household! 🙂 I am aware that some of you are vegan, but don’t despair at me calling for butter… you can always melt that chocolate in some coconut oil!

Sugar & I have had an interesting relationship over the years. We are currently not on friendly terms, for reasons you’re all aware of. I do, however, use unrefined sugar varieties for this recipe i.e. think coconut or cane sugar. Both coconut & cane sugar tend to have a larger grain & stick together, so it helps to make sure they’re not clumped up (because they usually always are!). To create meringue, you need sugar that’s light and fine. And yes, we’re creating some sort of meringue. Sorta. I tried this recipe with my trusty pure maple syrup and sadly, it wasn’t as good. It took the air & fluffiness away and created a more dense, fudge-like cake.

This recipe is super simple. It turns out even better if you have an electric mixer, but guess what? As embarrassing as this sounds for a life-long baker, mine gave up a while ago and I’ve been doing without one just fine. But if you have one, use it! Your arms will thank you.

And finally, this cake has a crispy/flaky crackle top, and a rich & moist interior. I tried to peel the crackle top off to correct some imperfections, but I should’ve just left it untouched & dust some confectionary sugar for the finishing touch. I added a pile of raspberries on there, too. Raspberries & chocolate are the perfect pair!

Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart’s “Flourless Chocolate Cake”. Thank you, Martha, for another delicious cake. The late 90’s wouldn’t have been the same without you. I tuned in every time.

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons of unsalted grass-fed butter (or 6 tablespoons of coconut oil for vegan options)
• 1 cup + 1 tablespoon of 70% or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup of coconut or cane sugar
• 6 large eggs (separate the yolks from the whites)

Preparation

1. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F Grease the bottom & sides of a 9-inch spring pan & set aside.
2. Place butter (or coconut oil) & chocolate in a heatproof bowl and simmer on the stove over another saucepan with hot water. This is an old-school way of ensuring the chocolate doesn’t get scorched or burned as it melts. I try not to use the microwave. After most of the chocolate melts, set aside & allow it to cool.
3. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites until you’ve got those soft, rolling white peaks. Gradually incorporate the 1/2 cup of sugar of your choice while continuing to mix (whisk by hand or with an electric mixer). And just like that, you have meringue.
4. Whisk 1/4 of the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture. Gently fold in the rest of the egg whites. By folding you scoop up from the bottom (create an imaginary loop or arch) and place the batter back on top. I turn the bowl around to do it from all angles. If you over mix, you deflate this beautiful cake. You want that airy, fluffy consistency. Voila, time to bake!
5. Bake for 45-50 minutes. When the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan, you know it’s ready! Serve at room temperature. Always allow it to cool before cutting! Enjoy!!