Flourless Triple Chocolate Torte

In Yiddish, the word simcha is defined as joy or happiness, but it more commonly refers to a festive occasion, as a celebration marks life’s happiest special events. While I love to bake for my family and friends any day of the week, it is a true honor for me to contribute a baked good that will help commemorate a significant moment in their lives. So when my sister called and asked for a dessert to be served at her friend Lindsay’s baby shower, I jumped at the chance to help. I think I may have jumped too soon, though, as her next sentence included the phrase gluten-free. More specifically, gluten-free cupcakes- I’ve got another Yiddish phrase you may have heard that was befitting this situation- Oy Vey! Okay… a minor hiccup as I’ve never attempted any gluten-free baking before. But I was confident I could make it work. I’d simply do my research, as per usual, land on a reliable recipe, and do the best I could. Oh, wait, there was one other little detail I failed to consider… I was without a kitchen. We had just started a gut renovation, and I no longer had a sink, stove-top, oven, etc. to accommodate any baking at all. Luckily, what I did have is an extremely generous Aunt living nearby, who graciously opened her home and lent me her fabulous kitchen for this project. (Thank you so very much, Aunt Maggie!) With more solutions than problems on the horizon, I felt ready to tackle the challenge.

After reading lots of reviews, I discovered a very informative book dedicated solely to gluten-free cupcakes with plenty of recipes to choose from: Artisanal Gluten-Free Cupcakes by Kelli and Peter Bronski. I settled on the classic chocolate cupcakes, which I figured I could dress up with a white chocolate mousse filling and fudge frosting like my traditional Triple Chocolate Cupcakes. Yet as bake day drew closer, my self-assurance waned, and I convinced myself I’d never pull it off successfully. Usually in this situation I would do a trial run beforehand, but I certainly wasn’t going to inconvenience my Aunt any further just for taste testing purposes and to put my mind at ease. Then, a light bulb moment- why futz with a slew of unfamiliar ingredients and drive myself crazy worrying about sub par cupcakes, when I could simply select a naturally gluten-free recipe more likely to produce delicious results? I was scared of disappointing my sister, but when I threw the idea of a flourless chocolate cake her way, she gave me the green light without hesitation, and thus I was off in an entirely different direction.

This recipe from King Arthur sort of fell in my lap, and offered both ease of preparation and simplicity of ingredients. The best part? It didn’t require xantham gum. Dense and extremely rich, flourless chocolate cakes (or tortes) pack a punch of chocolate flavor in every bite and have a soft, almost mousse-like texture. Most contain ingredients found in every baker’s pantry: unsalted butter for richness, eggs for lift (as there is no other leavening), chocolate and sugar. My recipe also included cocoa powder; depending on the brand, cocoa is about 60% starch, which provides body, structure, and chewiness that would otherwise be missing in the absence of flour. It also called for two chocolate flavor boosters, coffee (in the form of espresso powder) and vanilla (I used my latest obsession, vanilla bean paste). Instead of having to whip the egg whites and yolks separately, my recipe added them whole, eliminating extra steps. And even better, it offered an actual internal temperature to test the cake’s doneness. I must admit, I always hate that part- deciphering if something is done baking or needs another few minutes. I love when my instant read thermometer eliminates the guessing game. While I’m not sure why the magical temperature was 200 degrees, I did learn that the proteins in the eggs coagulate at 165, creating added structure for the cake. After pulling the cake out and letting it cool, I was able to refrigerate it overnight before adding the finishing touches.

Another bonus- baking the day before the event was actually desirable as the texture became even more smooth and fudgy. The “icing on the cake” was the chocolate ganache poured over the entire torte, hiding any and all imperfections, and providing a final glossy coat of pure chocolatey goodness. While still wet, I attached the baby themed, hand painted chocolate decorations I made in advance, and at the last minute, piped the lightly sweetened whipped cream rosettes. (I was worried that the whipped cream wouldn’t hold up through the trip, but my friend Steph offered highly useful advice to ensure it would; add some powdered sugar, which contains cornstarch, to stabilize the cream. Worked like a charm!) It was then ready to make its debut at the celebration.

My sister returned home with glowing reviews to report, and I couldn’t be more pleased. Most importantly, the guest of honor was extremely moved by her friends’ thoughtfulness (I found out right before that the shower was a surprise), and I hope my cake made it all the more special. Congratulations Lindsay, and best of luck with the arrival of your new bundle of joy!

Note: Because there are so few ingredients in this cake, their quality is of the utmost importance. Obviously, the chocolate is the star here: I used a mixture of Guittard and Ghriadelli baking chips along with Valrhona cocoa (swoon), and even though I never tasted this beauty, I can honestly say the intoxicating aroma emanating from the oven while it was baking was the embodiment of pure, unadulterated chocolate. Everyone in the room had to restrain themselves from grabbing a fork and digging in, and my Mom was eagerly gathering the fallen crumbs.

Flourless Triple Chocolate Torte

Recipe by http://www.kingarthurflour.com

Yield: 8″ cake, 8 to 12 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 cup/6 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup (8 tablespoons)/4 ounces unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup/5 1/4 ounces granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 to 2 teaspoons espresso powder, optional
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup/1 1/2 ounces unsweetened cocoa powder, Dutch-process preferred
• 1 cup/6 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup/2 ounces heavy cream

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly grease an 8″ round cake pan; cut a piece of parchment or waxed paper to fit, grease it, and lay it in the bottom of the pan.
2. To make the cake: Put the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the butter is melted and the chips are soft. Stir until the chips melt, reheating briefly if necessary. You can also do this over a burner set at very low heat. Transfer the melted chocolate/butter to a mixing bowl.
3. Stir in the sugar, salt, espresso powder, and vanilla. Espresso enhances chocolate’s flavor much as vanilla does; using 1 teaspoon will simply enhance the flavor, while 2 teaspoons will lend a hint of mocha to the cake.
4. Add the eggs, beating briefly until smooth. Add the cocoa powder, and mix just to combine. (Next time, I’ll sift the cocoa powder into the mixture to avoid having lumps in the batter).
5. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan.
6. Bake the cake for 25 minutes; the top will have formed a thin crust, and it should register at least 200 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer inserted into its center. (Start checking a few minutes early, mine was done at 23 minutes).
7. Remove it from the oven, and cool it in the pan for 5 minutes.
8. Loosen the edges of the pan with a table knife or nylon spreader, and turn it out onto a serving plate. The top will now be on the bottom; that’s fine. Also, the edges will crumble a bit, which is also fine. Allow the cake to cool completely before glazing.
9. To make the glaze: Combine the chocolate and cream in a microwave-safe bowl, and heat until the cream is very hot, but not simmering. Remove from the microwave, and stir until the chocolate melts and the mixture is completely smooth.
10. Spoon the glaze over the cake, spreading it to drip over the sides a bit. Allow the glaze to set for several hours before serving the cake.
11. Note: I used a combination of 2/3 cup/4 ounces bittersweet and 1/3 cup/2 ounces semisweet chocolate in the cake and the opposite proportions in the glaze.