Recipe: Orange scented flourless chocolate cake / brownie

melt the chocolate and butter

There are a few similarities between this recipe and the one for the flourless chocolate souffle - obviously they are both chocolate, but more importantly they utilize whipping and creaming to lighten the final product.  The reason I list this as both a cake and a brownie is that depending on the size of pan you use, and therefore how thick you pour the batter will determine which one you end up with - both will be delicious.  As a cake, this works best if you are making a layer cake and pour the batter thin enough that once it is baked and has settled down, it is already the thickness you want.  As a brownie, you will want to extend the cooking time and possibly drop the temperature slightly if it is quite thick.  The finished cake freezes extremely well, which is nice if you want the layers ready to go for when your fillings and frostings are ready.  As for the orange zest, it's not super prominent, but has an amazing "je ne sais quoi" effect on the flavour.  The zest has little effect on the structure of the cake, so if you feel like really bringing out the orange, you can easily zest another orange or two to great effect.

cream the yolks, sugar and zest

You will need:

300g / 10.6oz            dark chocolate

170g / 6oz                 unsalted butter

7                                eggs

170g / 6oz                 sugar
2                                orange zest (microplane)

Method:

whip the whites

 - set the oven to 340F / 171C (without fan)

 - melt the chocolate and butter together (not too hot), stir to emusify and set aside

 - separate the eggs into yolks and whites

 - cream the yolks with half the sugar and orange zest

 - cream them some more - til they beg for mercy, then set aside

 - whip the whites to a soft-medium peak

 - sprinkle in the other half of the sugar and bring to a medium-firm peak

 - mix the chocolate mixture with the creamed yolks

 - fold in the whites

 - spread out on a paper or silpat lined sheet pan (1/2 pan or hotel pan if in the industry)

 - bake for 15 - 20 minutes

mix the chocolate and yolks

 - remove from oven and cool completely

 - turn out onto a paper covered cutting board

 - cut the cake layers or portions as you like

 - use as needed or wrap well and freeze for later use

fold in the whites

spread it

bake it

flip it and peel the mat away

"Black Forest" with orange mascarpone and brandied cherries