After four countries and seventeen hours of travel,
I want cake.
I’m punchy and have dark chocolate on the brain.
These pictures are actually in the rearview. I decided to make, bake, capture, and while traveling have two and a half weeks of posts posting. Without a blink of sleep the night before take off, I finished just before bolting to the airport.
A couple days into the trip, I left my phone on an overnight train and one of my favorite man’s words rang, “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.”
A little astray, but then and now, chocolate is chocolate and the want is more than ever. While the cake is gone, I raided the bare cabinets, spilled a bag of chocolate chips all over the floor, then acted a bottom feeder. Chocolate chips are good, but after falling desperately for this cake, I need to make another.
Bon Appétit’s crackle cookie looking flourless chocolate cake intrigued, so I dug deeper. High reviews deserved a go for dinner with our best friend. Amy has an intense relationship with chocolate cake, so the night could go one of two ways:
- What were we thinking?! Why’d we bring a new and especially chocolate dessert to Amy?!
- She loves the cake! She loves the cake! Heck yeah!
Can you tell, we happy danced to Amy’s LOVE for the cake?
My first thought with bold chocolate is espresso and orange. If this combination isn’t your taste, another can take its place.
Because of the ease and the look of the actual flourless cake, I doubted its magic.
Boy, was I wrong!
This cake’s the perfect balance of rich and sweet.
More, we all wanted needed more.
The orange infused mascarpone whipped cream, a dream.
Yes, there’s something very wrong with me.
Who on earth wants a cake that’s difficult to make?
Fallen Love Cake is easy, magical and that good!
Once garnished, this cake is a chameleon- elegant, rustic, sophisticated, but always ready for the next best party or get together.
Please, treat yourself.
Fallen Love Chocolate Cake With Orange Zest Whipped Cream
Ingredients:
9 - inch springform
- 10 ounces or 1⅔ cups semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate or chips - coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature cut into 1" pieces
- 2 Tablespoons vegetable, avocado, or grapeseed oil
- 7 large eggs, 4 separated, 3 whole added with yolks (sea level = 6 eggs - 4 separated, 2 whole added with yolks)
- 3/4 cups + 2T cane or granulated sugar, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 2 Tablespoons natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1.5 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (sea level = 1 teaspoon)
Orange Zest Whipped Cream
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
- 2-3 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- ½ - ¾ teaspoon orange zest
- ½ - ¾ teaspoon orange extract
Garnish
- Chocolate curls
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9" springform pan. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and shake to coat the bottom and sides, then tap out excess sugar.
- In a medium microwave safe bowl, combine the chocolate, butter, and oil. Microwave for 45 seconds, check the chocolate and stir. Continue at 30 second intervals until the mixture is just about melted, then stir until smooth (this step can get out of hand fast, so be careful). Let chocolate cool to room temperature.
- Separate 4 eggs, placing whites and yolks in separate medium bowls. Along with ¼ cup sugar, salt, cocoa and espresso powder, add remaining three (two at sea level) whole eggs and vanilla. Whisk until smooth; slowly blend yolk mix into chocolate mixture. Combine well.
- With an electric mixer on high speed, beat the egg whites until foamy. While the mixer's running, slowly add the additional ½ cup sugar, beating until still peaks form. Try to avoid over-mixing or the peaks will be lost.
- In two additions and until just incorporated, gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. At times this can seem counterproductive, but do your best to cover the whites with chocolate ; ) Spatula the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top with a spoon or offset spatula, then sprinkle the top with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar.
- Bake until the top puffs, starts to crack and the cake pulls from the side of the pan.High Altitude = 32 - 35 minutes.Sea Level = 35 - 45 minutes.Transfer the cake to a wire rack and cool completely in the pan. As it cools, the cake will "fall" and crack further.
Whipped Cream
- About 15 minutes before ready to serve, chill a medium-sized (preferably glass or metal) bowl and the beaters from your electric mixer in the freezer.
- Using an electric stand or handheld mixer—beat cream, mascarpone, confectioners' sugar and orange extract starting on medium-low until thick. Increase speed, add zest and continue until stiff peaks form. Avoid over beating.
Chocolate Curls
- With a vegetable peeler or sharp knife, shave pieces or curls of chocolate from a baking or candy bar.
- Before serving, add whipped cream; with an offset spatula or spoon, make fancy swirls, then add chocolate curls.Time to dazzle family and friends!
Notes
- The changes at 6,300 altitude are an extra egg, half teaspoon vanilla, and baking fewer minutes than sea level.
- This cake can be made one day ahead, then covered in the pan and stored airtight at room temperature.
- For a brownie like cake (dense) use coconut oil.
- For the best whipped cream, use a medium-sized deep glass or metal bowl.
- place the bowl and beaters in the freezer for a minimum of fifteen minutes.
- whipped cream can be made early, covered, and refrigerated for up to a few hours.
- I include a zest range for those who like to love orange flavor. If you aren't much into orange, swap out any extract of choice. None at all tastes great too.
