Yesterday I did a cookbook review for Sugar Rush, a dessert book to teach you the foundation of pastry, from creams to cakes to frostings. It’s an alternative path to becoming a faux pastry chef without leaving home. Or spending three years in school in New York!
There’s an extensive discussion of meringues: French, Swiss, and Italian. And what to do with them. Like this flourless chocolate cake that, once seen, cannot be denied. It’s beautiful, elegant and easy. So very easy that you might be tempted to make it more than once.
Not all temptations are bad.
Flourless Chocolate Meringue Cake
Yield: serves 8 to 10 [maybe, kinda]
Ingredients:
- 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
- Cocoa powder, for dusting
- 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate (72% cacao), chopped
- 7 large egg whites
- Pinch of cream of tartar
- ⅓ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
- 4 large egg yolks
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Preparation:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and dust it with cocoa powder.
Fill a medium saucepan one-third full of water and bring to a boil. Put the chocolate and 6 tablespoons butter in a large heatproof bowl and set it over the water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water. Turn off the heat and let stand, stirring occasionally, until the butter and chocolate are melted and smooth. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature.
Put the egg whites and cream of tartar into the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and turn the mixer on to medium-low speed. Slowly sprinkle about a third of the ⅓ cup sugar into the whites and whip until the mixture is foamy. With the motor running, gradually drizzle in another third of the sugar in the measuring cup. Increase the speed to medium, and when the whites have soft peaks, sprinkle in the remaining sugar in the cup and whip until soft, glossy peaks form.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks, the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, and the salt together until pale and thick. Fold the cooled chocolate into the yolk mixture until combined. Add about 1cup of the whites and fold gently until just combined; add the remaining whites and fold gently until no streaks of whites remain. Transfer to the prepared pan and spread the batter evenly with a spatula, smoothing out the top.
Bake in the center of the oven for about 25 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking, until set and a tester inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes before removing the springform ring. The cake can be served slightly warm or at room temperature, dusted with cocoa powder if desired.
Source: Sugar Rush by Johnny Iuzzini [Clarkson Potter, 2014]