A Recipe from Our Cookbook: Flourless Chocolate Cake

Imagine serving this to your beloved on Valentine's Day!

In Welcome to Michael’s, Michael shares how one of his goals when he opened his first Michael’s restaurant in Santa Monica back in 1979 was “to transform great French pastries by removing the booze and lightening them up.” This flourless chocolate cake is an example of how well he achieved that goal in a spectacular yet surprisingly streamlined dessert.

You can prepare this recipe as a single large cake or six small cakes. Try making it for your Valentine, on February 14th or on any other day you want to romance him or her with chocolate. Dress up the cake with chocolate sauce, good-quality vanilla ice cream, crème fraîche, whipped cream, or—as shown in the photo here—fresh berries. We’re sure that, with one bite, the object of your affections will fall in love—at the very least with the rich, chocolaty flavor!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Makes 1 large or 6 small cakes

• 3/4 pound bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 6 very fresh large eggs, separated
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Chocolate Sauce (recipe follows, optional)

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Generously butter a 9-inch round springform pan or six 6-ounce ramekins. Line the bottom of the pan or each ramekin with a circle of parchment paper cut to fit. Then butter the parchment. Place the prepared pan or ramekins on a baking sheet and set aside.

Combine the chocolate and butter in the top half of a double boiler over but not touching barely simmering water; do not allow the water to touch the top pan. Heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until the chocolate has melted and is blended with the butter. Remove from the heat.

Place the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle. Beat on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes or until the egg yolks are very thick and pale yellow. Remove the paddle and fold the chocolate mixture along with the vanilla into the yolks. Set aside.

Using the standing mixer or a handheld electric mixer, beat the egg whites with clean beaters until foamy. Add the salt and continue beating until soft peaks form that droop slightly when the beaters are lifted out. With the motor running, gradually add the remaining sugar, beating until medium-firm peaks form, standing up fairly straight but not absolutely stiff when the beaters are lifted. With a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan or ramekins. Place in the preheated oven and bake for about 50 minutes or until the top is puffed and cracked and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out with moist crumbs attached.

Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool slightly.

When the pan or ramekins are cool enough to handle, run a small sharp knife around the inside of the pan or ramekins to loosen the cake. Open the springform latch and remove the ring, carefully transfer the cake to a cake plate, and cut into wedges; or carefully invert each ramekin onto an individual serving plate and peel off the parchment paper. Serve the cake either warm or at room temperature, drizzled with Chocolate Sauce if desired.

Chocolate Sauce

• 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, heated in a saucepan over medium-low heat until hot but not boiling

Combine the chocolate and butter in the top half of a double boiler over but not touching barely simmering water; do not allow the water to touch the top pan. Heat, stirring constantly, for a few minutes or until the chocolate is melted and blended with the butter.

Remove the mixture from the heat. Pour the hot cream into the chocolate, gently whisking until thoroughly combined.