Chef David’s Out-Of-This-world Chocolate Torte

This cake is for serious chocoholics only. Casual chocolate nibblers need not apply. It’s rich, it’s decadent, and it’s (from) out of this world . . . literally.

Believe it or not . . .

This cake was developed by my friend Ellen’s first husband—a high-end NYC chef from before the days of celebrity chefs—around 1980. In fact, I learned many of my kitchen skills from him. He generously shared many of his recipes with his wife and with me, but he’d never tell us how he made his fabulous chocolate torte. Mind you, this was before everyone was making flourless chocolate cakes. It was unique and exciting. Tragically, David passed away at a very young age. And also tragically, he took the recipe for his chocolate torte to the grave.

It was several years later that I found another recipe for a flourless chocolate cake. I made it. It was good, but not as good as David’s.

This cake uses no flour or leavening of any kind. It’s lightened with whipped egg whites, rendering it both gluten free and kosher for Passover by its very nature. One year, many rotations around the sun ago, I decided to make it for the Seder.

As I stood in my kitchen, stirring together my melted chocolate and butter, I looked up, and purely to amuse myself, shook my fist at the ceiling and said, “David, you &%$&#! Why didn’t you give us the recipe?” Then I picked up my measuring cup and started to measure the granulated sugar for the recipe in front of me.

Suddenly, in my head, I heard, “No! Use confectioner’s sugar!”

Okaaaaay . . .

I got out the confectioner’s sugar and used that instead. Then, as I was mixing my ingredients I heard, “You need to add a tablespoon of instant espresso powder.”

Yeaaaaah . . .

“And vanilla bean paste.”

So, I did. The cake came out fabulous. I ran to the phone (phones were still attached to walls), called Ellen, and shouted, “David just gave me the recipe for the chocolate torte!” Ellen had watched him put it together enough times that we were able to cobble together the rest.

Know that I am not not passing any sort of judgement upon this experience—not philosophical, mystical, religious, or otherwise. It just is what it is.

This cake is all about the chocolate, so you should use the best quality you can find. I highly recommend using Valrhona. It’s not only amazingly fabulous, it’s also harvested and crafted without abuse or child slavery. There are many other good brands, but Valrhona is probably the most recognized and easily found. Do check to be sure they’re labeled free trade or something similar.*

As for finishing the cake, you have several options.

The photo shows the cake as it is when it comes out of the pan. Aesthetically, it needs something.

• Use a mesh strainer to sieve a thin layer of cocoa powder or confectioner’s sugar over the top.

• Make a chocolate ganache—put 8 ounces finely chopped good quality bittersweet chocolate into a metal or glass bowl. Warm 1 cup of heavy whipping cream in a small saucepan and remove it from the heat just as small bubbles are beginning to form around the edge of the pot. Do not let it boil. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit for about 3 minutes, then start stirring to combine them. I find a fork works best. It may look like it’s not going to come together at first, but keep stirring. It will. Once your ganache is smooth, spread it over the top with an offset spatula.

• Top the ganache with chopped pistachios. Or coconut. Or organic rose petals. Or nothing.

• Add some berries. And/or tufts of whipped cream over the cocoa, or sugar, or ganache. Or nothing.

*Until recently I wasn’t aware of what goes on behind the scenes in the chocolate industry. Turns out, it’s a very nasty business. I’ve become very careful in the chocolate I choose to buy.

You might want to check out this list. Power is in the hands of consumers.

Ingredients:

15 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

18 tablespoons (2 1⁄4 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

7 egg yolks

9 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar

1½ tablespoons liqueur (the flavors that work best here are coffee, orange, or nut flavors, such as Kaluah, Gran Gala, Frangelico, or Amaretto)

1 tablespoon espresso powder

1½ teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract

Pinch of salt

5 egg whites, at room temperature

cocoa for dusting the pan

Method:

• Preheat an oven to 300ºF.

• Grease a loaf pan or an 8” cake pan, and dust it with cocoa powder.

• In the top pan of a double boiler, combine the chocolate and butter. Set the top pan over but not touching barely simmering water in the bottom pan and melt, then whisk until well blended. Or, Combine the chocolate and butter in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 1½ minutes and then stir. Continue to microwave at 30 second intervals until the contents of the bowl look mostly melted. Now you can let it sit—the heat from the melted part will melt the rest. Set the chocolate/butter combo aside to cool slightly.

• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat together the egg yolks, 6 tablespoons of the confectioner’s sugar, the espresso powder, the vanilla and the salt on medium-high speed until pale and very thick, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the liqueur, then gradually pour in the chocolate mixture and continue beating until well blended.

• In a deep, clean bowl, using a mixer fitted with a clean whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until foamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add the remaining 3 Tbs. granulated sugar and continue to beat until medium-firm peaks form, about 2 minutes. Scoop half of the egg whites onto the chocolate mixture and fold them in gently. Fold in the remaining whites just until no streaks remain.

• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly.

• Bake until the torte puffs slightly and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out very moist but not liquid, about 40 minutes. Do not over-bake. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool for 30 minutes.

• Let the torte cool completely, then cover and refrigerate until very cold, at least 4 hours or overnight.

• To serve, invert the pan onto a serving plate. Just before serving, dust the top with cocoa powder.

Some great accompaniments to this fabulous cake are vanilla whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, custard sauce, and raspberry sauce.

Did you make it? Was it fabulous?