Flourless chocolate truffle cake with amaretto cream

From: Olive

This flourless chocolate cake is extremely smooth and similar to the consistency of a chocolate torte. The amaretto lifts the deep richness of the chocolate.

Total Time: 1 Hour 
Yield: Serves 8

Ingredients

• 70% dark chocolate 250g, broken into pieces
• butter 150g, cubed
• golden caster sugar 150g
• eggs 5, separated
• ground almonds 30g
• amaretto or bourbon 1 tbsp
• cocoa powder for dusting

AMARETTO CREAM

• double cream 142ml pot
• icing sugar 2 tbsp
• amaretto or bourbon 1 tbsp

Method

STEP 1

Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. Butter and line the base of a 23cm round springform cake tin.

STEP 2

Melt the chocolate and butter together either in short blasts in the microwave or in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Allow to cool a little, then add 50g sugar and 1 egg yolk. Gradually add remaining egg yolks as you mix. Stir in the almonds and amaretto.

STEP 3

Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks then gradually whisk in the remaining sugar, 2 tbsp at a time until the meringue is stiff and glossy. Loosen the chocolate mixture with a spoonful of egg white then fold the rest of the meringue in with a spatula or large metal spoon, trying to retain as much of the volume as possible. Pour into the tin and bake for 30-35 minutes.

STEP 4

Leave the cake to cool in the tin on a wire rack for 15 minutes, it will sink but don’t worry – this is meant to happen. Remove the springform sides of the tin and leave to cool completely.

STEP 5

To make the amaretto cream, whip the cream, sugar and amaretto together until it just holds its shape. Eat the cake when cool or wrap up and chill overnight – the texture of the cake will become even more velvety. Dust with cocoa and serve with the amaretto cream.