Torta al Cioccolato (Flourless Chocolate Cake)

Adapted from Via Carota: A Celebration of Seasonal Cooking from the Beloved Greenwich Village Restaurant, by Jody Williams and Rita Sodi with Anna Kovel. This is one of the best flourless chocolate cakes we’ve ever made, and it’s pretty simple to achieve. We love the way this cake collapses (it’s supposed to), with the top forming a crackly crust that contrasts beautifully with the cake’s soft crumb. The instructions call for either cocoa powder or flour to prepare the pan; if you want to keep it truly flourless (and gluten-free), be sure to have some cocoa powder on hand. (If you’re concerned about the lead and cadmium levels in cocoa and have no problem with gluten, you might want to opt for flour.)

READ: ‘Via Carota’ is Cooks Without Borders’ Cookbook of the Year

READ: The chocolate crisis is apparently not going away — here’s the easy way to bake safely

The original Via Carota recipe ends with a note that you can make the batter the day in advance and refrigerate it overnight before baking, which they like to do sometime for convenience and because it gives the crust more texture. We have not yet tested doing so.

Note: Jan. 14, 2024: Due to ongoing safety issues around lead and cadmium contamination of dark chocolate, we now recommend combining two types of Ghirardelli Chocolate premium baking bars for this recipe. The ingredients list has been adjusted accordingly.

Makes one 9-inch cake that serves 8.

Ingredients

1 1/2 sticks / 170 grams unsalted butter, plus more for the pan

Cocoa powder or flour for the pan

5 ounces / 140 grams Ghirardelli Chocolate 60% cacao premium baking bar, chopped

2 ounces / 56 grams Ghirardelli Chocolate 100% cacao premium baking bar, chopped

6 large eggs, at room temperature, separated

1 cup / 200 grams sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees F / 175 degrees C. Butter a 9 inch / 23 cm springform pan. Dust the pan with cocoa or flour, and tip it upside down to tap out the excess.

2. Combine the chocolate and butter in a glass or metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water, and stir occasionally until melted and thoroughly blended. Remove the bowl from the heat and let the chocolate cool slightly, about 15 minutes.

3. In a large bowl, whisk the yolks with 1/2 cup / 100 grams of the sugar until pale and thick. In a separate medium bowl, either whisk or use a mixer to whip the egg whites, gradually adding the remaining 1/2 cup / 100 grams of sugar as you whip, until the whites form stiff peaks.

4. Stir the melted chocolate into the egg yolks. Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the chocolate mixture, allowing some streaks of white to remain. Pour into the prepared pan and shimmy the pan gently to settle the batter. Bake until puffed and the surface has formed a crust, 40 to 45 minutes. Don’t bake this cake until it’s completely firm, or it will be dry. Let cool completely on a wire rack before releasing the sides of the pan. Dust with powdered sugar, if you like, before serving.