Flourless chocolate cake

Flourless chocolate cake

Flourless chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream
Type	Cake
Course	Dessert

Flourless chocolate cake is a dense cake made from an aerated chocolate custard.^[1] The origin of the cake is not clear.^[2] The dessert contains no gluten, which makes it acceptable for those with celiac disease,^[3] gluten-free diets, and during religious holidays in which gluten and grains are not permitted.^[4]

A traditional baking method for a variety of flourless chocolate cakes involves whipping the whites alone and then whipping the yolks into the sugar to increase the air content. The overall effect of this process is a sturdy, but light cake.^[5] The chocolate and butter are melted together in either a microwave or double boiler. Once all the ingredients are combined, the resulting batter contains only the starch naturally present in the chocolate.^[1] The use of Dutch cocoa powder instead of simple cocoa powder will allow the cake to have a denser fudge-like consistency that the cake is known for.^[6] Flourless chocolate cakes typically use simple ingredients including: chocolate, butter, eggs, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, salt, and an optional dusting of powdered sugar, chocolate ganache, or berries.^[5]

Flourless chocolate cake is a common dessert among Jews during the holiday of Passover since leavened grains cannot be consumed during that holiday.^[7]

Flourless chocolate cake is a popular dessert in gluten-free diets. There are several varieties including topping the cake with a chocolate ganache, adding raspberries, or it is frequently served with vanilla ice cream, all of which can be enjoyed by those with gluten-free and celiac-appropriate diets.^{[citation needed]}

The use of alternative sugars would allow this cake to be enjoyed by those on a keto diet as well.^[8]

The River Café's "chocolate nemesis" is a version of a flourless chocolate cake, with only four ingredients, eggs, sugar, chocolate and butter.^[9] Flourless chocolate cake has a number of myths surrounding its origins including a baker forgetting to add the flour, and that it's a version of an Austrian cake called the Austrian Sachertorte.^[2] A similar cake with little or no flour is known as "fallen" or "molten" chocolate cake and was popularized by, among others, Jean-Georges Vongerichten's restaurants.^[10]

• Chocolate mousse
• Cheesecake
• Torte
• List of custard desserts
• List of desserts
• Food portal

Wikibooks Cookbook has a recipe/module on

• Flourless Chocolate Cake