I Feel Like Opening Up My Complaining Box…
but I think I’ll just open up my recipe box, instead.

Over the years, I’ve made several gluten-free cakes. And, I’ve found a couple of wonderful recipes. In fact, after eating gluten-free for these years, I have to admit that I like flourless cakes better than those with flour.

This year for Easter I made this cake. For decoration, I topped it with egg-shaped speckled jellybeans. The next time I make it I will leave off the jellybeans and use a fresh raspberry sauce, instead. It is very easy and so good.

For the cake:
8 oz. semisweet chocolate (chopped or chips)
1 stick unsalted butter
6 eggs: 2 whole, 4 separated
1 t. vanilla extract
1/3 cup plus 1/2 cup sugar: 1/3 for the yolk mixture; 1/2 cup for the whites

For the topping:
4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
1t. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350. Either line a springform pan with parchment paper or use cooking spray on the bottom. Don’t grease the sides of the pan.

Melt the buter with the 8 oz. chocolate in a microwave (or double boiler) stirring it until smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk the 4 egg whites until firm, then gradually add the 1/2 cup of sugar and whisk until the whites are holding thier shape and peak — but not stiff.

In another bowl, whick the 2 whole eggs and 4 egg yolks with the 1/3 cup of sugar and the vanilla extract, and then gently fold in the chocolate mixture. Lighten the mixture with some of the egg whites ( a big spoonful is fine) then fold in the rest of the whisked whites gently, in about 3 additions.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the cake is risen and cracked and the center is no longer wobbly on the surface. Cool the cake in its pan on a wire rack; the middle will sink as it cools and the sides might splinter. Don’t worry if it has a crater. It is supposed to.

To finish the cake, remove it from the pan. Melt the 4 oz. of chocolate and leave it to cool a little. Whip the cream until it is firming up and aerated but still soft, and then add the vanilla and fold in the melted chocolate. Fill the crater of the cake with the chocolately cream. Ease it out gently toward the edges of the cake with a rubber spatula.

Notes: this is adapted from the cookbook, Feast by Nigella Lawson. She actually features several flourless cakes in her book. I’m going to try them all. Also, I used those bittersweet Ghirardelli chocolate chips that you can get at Sam’s. I think they are like 60 percent cocoa.

Now, wasn’t that better than me opening up my complaining box? I think that it’s time for a piece of cake.