For Sophie Dahl, former model and author of “Miss Dahl’s Voluptuous Delights,” this flourless chocolate cake is best served smothered in creme fraiche. Some would even say eating it with anything else would be a crime. However you choose to eat it, this scrumptious delight is worth getting into trouble for.
Recipe: Flourless chocolate cake (on this page)
Grease and line the base of an 8-inch square or 9-inch round cake pan (though I prefer to use a springform pan as the texture of the cake is quite moist and sticky).
Preheat the oven to 350º F.
In a large food processor (or do in two batches), pulse the chocolate and sugar until fine. Add the boiling water, butter, egg yolks, coffee and vanilla extract. In a glass bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff and then add them to the mixture in the food processor and blend for 10 seconds or so. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan and put in the hot oven for 45–55 minutes. The top will be cracked like a desert fault line.
Let the cake cool, then put it in the fridge for a few hours.
Remove from the pan and smother it in raspberries, strawberries and crème fraîche. You can also grate some more chocolate on top.
After you take the cake out of the oven it will collapse in on itself quite a bit. This is OK; it’s not meant to be a proud cool cake, it’s meant to look slightly rough around the edges and homemade, and the crème fraîche and berries will hide any dips and cracks!
© 2012 MSNBC Interactive
video A former California highway patrolman has written a book in which he claims a 91-year-old man who died this year was the famed Zodiac Killer, who killed at least five people in the San Francisco area in the 1960s. NBC’s Mike Taibbi reports.
video The author of a new book about the life of Prince William says that the royal most likely to ascend to the throne was scarred by his parent’s marital problems, and long-believed he might not ever settle down. NBC’s Duncan Golestani reports.
video TODAY’s Jenna Wolfe speaks with stuntman Gary Connery, the first person to drop out of a helicopter wearing a “wing suit” and land without deploying a parachute.
video A lawyer for a 51-year-old New Jersey man accused of killing 6-year-old Etan Patz in New York City 33 years ago says his client has mental health problems that may come into play during his prosecution. Former FBI profiler Clint van Zandt discusses the case.
“ ”