Italian Flourless Chocolate Cake

Italian Flourless Chocolate Cake
Romulo Yanes for The New York Times. Stylist: Vivian Lui
Total Time
45 minutes, plus cooling
Rating
4(1,203)
Comments
Read comments

Just east of Bologna, Italy, the walled city of Ferrara is known for la torta tenerina, a kind of chocolate cake with an almost creamy interior and a thin, crisp crust. It’s a simple confection, and even still, it’s said that every baker and home cook has his or her own recipe. This version comes from Eleonora Masiero and Ennio Occhiali at Cusina e Butega, a combination bakery and restaurant. —Florence Fabricant

Featured in: Flourless Chocolate Cake Finds an Ancestor in Italy

  • or to save this recipe.

  • Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone

    As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.

  • Share this recipe

  • Print this recipe

Advertisement


Ingredients

Yield:4 to 6 servings
  • 7tablespoons/100 grams unsalted butter softened, plus more for pan
  • ½cup/60 grams confectioners’ sugar, sifted, plus more for dusting
  • 4ounces/113 grams 70 percent “top quality” dark chocolate
  • 2extra-large eggs, separated
  • 2tablespoons/20 grams potato starch
  • tablespoons/40 grams superfine sugar
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

337 calories; 23 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 29 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 21 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 33 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Powered by

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch cake pan. Line bottom with parchment.

  2. Step 2

    In a large bowl, using a mixer or by hand, beat the 7 tablespoons butter with the confectioners’ sugar until smooth and creamy. Melt chocolate in a pan on top of stove. Pour warm chocolate over the butter and sugar mixture and beat until smooth. Whisk in egg yolks one at a time. Stir in potato starch.

  3. Step 3

    In a medium bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in superfine sugar and continue beating until firm peaks develop. Fold egg whites into chocolate mixture.

  4. Step 4

    Scrape the batter out of the bowl, and spread it in the pan. Bake for 18 minutes. Cake will rise and top will look dry and a little crackly. Remove pan from oven, place on a rack and allow to cool completely, about 2 hours. Cake will sink a bit.

  5. Step 5

    Unmold cake, peel off parchment, then invert onto a serving dish so the crackly surface is on top. Generously sift confectioners’ sugar over the top, then serve.

Private Notes

Leave a Private Comment on this recipe and see it here.

Ratings

4 out of 5
1,203 user ratings
Your rating

or to rate this recipe.

Have you cooked this?

or to mark this recipe as cooked.

Comments

After reading several comments here and given only large eggs on hand, I adjusted the recipe: 5 oz chocolate, 3 eggs, plus a tablespoon of almond paste creamed into the butter/sugar, in a springform pan, baked for 21 minutes until small cracks were visible in the top, cooled for 2 hours+. Although the top edges cracked off when I plated the cake, the dusting of powder sugar spiffed it up for presentation. The cake was moist and easy to cut/serve with a dollop of creme fraische.

I used arrowroot instead of the potato starch and it turned out great. I do need to work on my egg-separating skills, though.

For those having trouble finding potato starch - if you make this in early Spring you will find lots of potato starch in the Passover section of your regular supermarket. Potato starch is used in many Passover recipes, since they cannot have regular flour.

18 minutes at 350 was not enough to bake. Oh how I wish I had tested with a toothpick. My mistake. But be warned. Make sure you test for doneness. I'll try again.

I need more servings. Is it safe to double the recipe? If I bake it in a 10” spring form pan? But then wondering how long to bake it? Or is all of this too risky and is it better to bake in two separate pans of the designated size?

Had no potato starch, used equal weight of flour, came out great except a bit wet in the center after 18 minutes—Maybe shiny pan? I would would add a couple of minutes to the baking tim. Utterly delicious with an amazing texture.

Private comments are only visible to you.

Credits

Adapted from Cusina e Butega Restaurant, Ferrara, Italy

or to save this recipe.