A few months ago, my cousin very kindly shared a slice of her specially ordered flourless chocolate birthday cake. It was super rich, dense and intensely chocolately! Ever since, I have been obsessed with pure chocolate desserts. I’ve made everything from chocolate lava cake to fudge, and even tried to recreate my cousin’s birthday cake. And I think I’ve cracked the code. I used King Arthur Flour’s base recipe and tried a load of new flavor combinations. It’s delicious with Framboise raspberry liqueur topped with a few fresh raspberries and mint leaves. For Christmas, it would be incredible with a bit of peppermint extract in the cake and ganache and then topped with crushed candy canes. Chocolate with orange is also one of my favorite combinations- just add freshly grated orange zest to the cake to add a citrusy undertone and cut through some of the richness of the chocolate. But my favorite flavor addition came as something of a surprise. I accidentally added a bit of almond extract, thinking it was actually vanilla, and became incredibly disappointed that I had ruined the entire batter. Lo and behold, it was my favorite variation! I love happy accidents in the kitchen!

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Espresso and Almond Extract (with variations)

Serves: Too many servings to count! It’s so rich, you only need a small slice

Ingredients: 

• 1 cup high quality semisweet chocolate chips
• 8 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder (it really brings out the flavor of the chocolate without making it taste like coffee)
• 1 teaspoon Almond extract
• 3 eggs
• ½ cup high quality Dutch-process cocoa

For the Ganache Topping:

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• ½ cup heavy cream

Whipped Cream, for serving (optional, but necessary)

Flavor Variations:

• Raspberry: add 1 tablespoon raspberry liqueur instead of the almond extract, garnish with raspberries and mint
• Peppermint: add 1 teaspoon peppermint extract instead of the almond extract, garnish with crushed candy canes
• Orange: add 1 tablespoon orange zest and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the cake mix along with the eggs, do not add almond extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. Lightly butter the parchment and the sides of the pan. 
2. Set up a double boiler: Place one pan with water on the cooktop over med-high heat. Place a heat-proof bowl on top and add the chocolate and butter. Melt the two, monitoring the temperature of the water underneath to make sure it doesn’t become too hot. Stir often and be careful not to let any of the water get into the bowl with the chocolate. Once the chocolate and butter have melted, remove the bowl from the heat and let cool for about 10 minutes. (You could melt the butter and chocolate in the microwave but- fun fact- I opted to have two ovens instead of an oven-microwave combo so I always use a double boiler.)
3. Add the sugar, salt, espresso powder, and almond extract to the chocolate-butter mixture. Add the eggs and whisk until fully combined. Switch to a spoon and add in the cocoa powder, mixing until just combined. 
4. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 25 minutes, until the top has formed a thin crust. The cake should register at least 200 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. It will look underbaked, but that’s fine. It just means you’ve made a super-rich and dense chocolate cake. 
5. Let the cake cool for 5 minutes. Loosen the edges of the pan with a knife and turn out onto a cake stand or serving plate. Let cool completely.
6. For the glaze, place the chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl. Meanwhile, in a small pan, heat the heavy cream until you begin to see steam rising from the pan. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate chips, allow to sit for thirty seconds, then whisk until all of the chocolate has fully melted. Pour the ganache over the cake. Let it set up for several hours before serving. You can speed up the process by placing the cake in the fridge. 
7. To make clean slices, use a sharp knife and dip in hot water before cutting each slice. Serve immediately with a healthy dollop of whipped cream OR you can refrigerate the cake for a week, sneaking individual slices when no one’s looking.

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