Flourless Chocolate Cake

Bittersweet chocolate is also known as dark chocolate. For this particular cake, I recommend using chocolate with around a 60% cacao percentage. If you prefer your cake a little more bitter, go higher; if you prefer it a little more sweet, then you can go lower. I do not recommend using milk chocolate in this particular recipe, as it would be much too sweet.

You might be tempted to add sugar to the recipe to sweeten it up, but it will alter the texture of the cake; instead adjust the chocolate you use.

Coffee does a phenomenal job of enhancing the flavor of chocolate. You cannot taste the coffee in the finished product, so even if you dislike drinking coffee, I recommend you use it here. If you cannot drink coffee for medical, religious, or other reasons, you can substitute water.

This recipe calls for an 8-inch springform pan, which is less common than its 9-inch cousin. If you don’t have one, you can still make this recipe in a 9-inch springform pan. Be aware that it will NOT fit inside of a 9×13-inch baking pan for the water bath and you will need to use something larger, like a roasting pan. The cake takes about the same amount of time to bake, but I would start checking at the 18-minute mark just to be safe.

This cake can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you store it in the refrigerator, let it sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.

This cake can be made up to one day in advance and kept in the refrigerator. The baked and cooled cake freezes exceptionally well. Wrap it tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap, then place in a freezer-safe zipper bag. Freeze for up to 3 months; thaw in the refrigerator overnight. (You can also freeze individual slices using the same instructions.)