Flourless Chocolate Mousse Cake

By JimMac

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter
• 230 g (8 oz) dark chocolate min. 60% cocoa solids
• 2 tbsp sugar

Preparation

Step 1

Place a rimmed baking tray on the center rack of your oven (for the water bath) and preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Line a 7- or 8-inch round springform pan with baking paper and lightly grease the sides. My pan is a funny size – it’s about 7.5-inches in diameter. Just don’t use anything larger than an 8-inch round or the cake will be too short. Wrap the bottom of the pan with a double layer of foil to prevent water from getting in when you bake it in the water bath.

Combine chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water and stir until completely melted and smooth. Set aside to cool.

Place eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat until very foamy, about 1 minute on high. Gradually add sugar and continue to beat on high until very thick, voluminous and nearly whitened, about 5 minutes longer. Add one-third of the foamy eggs to the chocolate mixture and fold it in gently. Add the remaining eggs in two parts and fold them in gently until blended. Try not to over-mix and knock all of the air out of the batter.

Pour mixture into a prepared pan and then gently place the pan on the rimmed baking tray. Pour boiling water into the baking tray until it comes about ½ inch up the sides of the cake pan. Bake for 5 minutes, then turn down to 350°F/180°C and bake for about 25-30 minutes. A toothpick will come out with just the tiniest bit of sticky chocolate. If you under-bake it, it will sink too much on cooling, so don’t be afraid to give it the full 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with cocoa and serve.