Foolproof flourless chocolate torte recipe...help?!

[lawkitty]

Hi all, I need a foolproof flourless chocolate torte recipe. I had a great one, can't find it, and now all the reviews I see for seemingly solid recipes are all over the board. I am afraid to invest the time in one that won't be great.

I also wonder: which is better: water bath with springform pan or not? I have seen recipes that call for both... what is the difference in the result?

Recipes and guidance are greatly appreciated!!

[Emme]

I do a small variation on La Bete Noire from Epicurious, and I've done it in my silicone pan (so easy to get out and no foil) and water bath.

1/2 c sugar
2/3 c water

Put in a saucepan over medium high heat, and bring to a boil, stirring til sugar dissolves Simmer 5 minutes.

6 tbsp unsalted butter
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate
6 oz 72% dark chocolate

Melt butter and stir in chocolate to melt, until smooth.

Add sugar syrup to chocolate, stir until smooth and let cool slightly.

4 eggs

Temper eggs with a bit of the chocolate then whisk them all back into the chocolate/sugar syrup.

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Stir in the vanilla.

Bake in a silicone 8 in pan (or springform if you prefer, and I like to spray mine with cooking spray for good measure) at 350 for 30 minutes, or until no longer jiggly. Let cool to room temperature, then refrigerate for a couple of hours. Great to make ahead too.

I like to serve with a Cherry Berry Vanilla Sauce, and some creme fraiche (or vanilla ice cream, depending upon my audience).

[mnosyne]

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

Ingredients:
½ lb Butter
4 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate (around 67%)
3 Eggs
½ C Sifted unsweetened 100% Cocoa
¾ C Sugar

Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
2. In a bowl over boiling water, melt chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Let cool.
3. In bowl of stand mixer, using paddle, beat eggs at MEDIUM speed until thick, about 1 minute.
4. Add sifted cocoa, beating at LOW speed.
5. Add sugar to partially blend.
6. Scrape down bowl with rubber spatula.
7. Beat mixture at HIGH speed for 1 minute, until thick.
8. Add chocolate/butter mixture; beat at MEDIUM speed until blended.
9. Pour mixture into buttered 9” cake pan.
10. Bake at 300 F for 20-40 minutes or until done (a broomstraw should come out clean when inserted in the middle of the cake.
11. Cool pan on rack for 10 minutes.
12. Turn over onto plate.
13. When cool, sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar.

[katecm]

Please don't take offense to this, but it sounds like David Lebovitz's chocolate idiot cake would save the day: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2007/01/...

[Jay F]

Sounds so good...and so easy.

Yeah, do this one, lawkitty.

[magiesmom]

this is a great cake and really foolproof!. Use good chocolate

[Vetter]

I fourth the chocolate idiot cake. My friends ask me to bring it to parties and girls' nights. It is divine. And yes, use good chocolate. I add a big pinch of salt.

[nofunlatte]

This looks wonderful. I assume leftovers freeze well, too. May have to make this one soon!

[Jay F]

I've made this a hundred times. The cake recipe is from Michael's of Santa Monica. I found it in a late 1998 or early 1999 issue of Bon Appetit. The icing is from Maida Heatter's Queen Mother's Cake.

It generally doesn't look very good when you take it out of the springform. You may need to cut it down a bit from the top. I don't bother with that when it's for friends or family, however. It looks fine when it's bottoms-up and frosted, though.

CAKE:

12 ounces bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
6 large eggs, separated
12 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper or waxed paper; butter paper. Wrap outside of pan with foil. Stir chocolate and butter in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Cool to lukewarm, stirring often. Using electric mixer, beat egg yolks and 6 tablespoons sugar in large bowl until mixture is very thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Fold lukewarm chocolate mixture into yolk mixture, then fold in vanilla extract. Using clean dry beaters, beat egg whites in another large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 6 tablespoons sugar, beating until medium-firm peaks form. Fold whites into chocolate mixture in 3 additions. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake cake until top is puffed and cracked and tester inserted into center comes out with some moist crumbs attached, about 50 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack (cake will fall).
Gently press down crusty top to make evenly thick cake. Using small knife, cut around pan sides to loosen cake. Remove pan sides. Place 9-inch-diameter tart pan bottom or cardboard round atop cake. Invert cake onto tart pan bottom. Peel off parchment paper.

FROSTING

1/2 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons powdered (not granular) instant espresso or coffee (see Note)
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into small pieces

Scald the cream in a 5- to 6-cup saucepan over moderate heat until it begins to form small bubbles around the edges or a thin skin on top. Add the dry espresso or coffee and whisk to dissolve. Add the chocolate and stir occasionally over heat for 1 minute. Then remove the pan from the heat and whisk or stir until the chocolate is all melted and the mixture is smooth.

Let the icing stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, for about 15 minutes or a little longer until the icing barely begins to thicken.

Then, stir it to mix, and pour it slowly over the top of the cake, pouring it onto the middle. Use a long, narrow metal spatula to smooth the top and spread the icing so that a little of it runs down the sides (not too much--the icing on the sides should be a much thinner layer than on the top). With a small, narrow metal spatula, smooth the sides.

Remove the strips of paper by pulling each one out toward a narrow end.

(Note: I use Medaglia D'Oro instant espresso.)