Chocolate Torte
High quality dark chocolate is a marvel in itself. Deep in richness, slightly fruity and floral in flavor, and complex in a mouth-coating bitterness that’s surprisingly pleasant, it’s no wonder that chocolate single-handedly transformed our expectations for pastry over the past two centuries.Rather than muting the intense flavor of chocolate with hefty ingredients like flour and cups of sugar, a Chocolate Torte uses no flour and a small amount of sugar, allowing the chocolate to take center stage in a decadent way. Eggs are whipped for 6 minutes to trap air into their structure before being folded in with the chocolate. The air trapped in the eggs expands dramatically in the oven, and then falls as the cake cools, giving the cake a soft airy texture. Since no flour is used in the recipe, this dessert is inadvertently gluten-free, so you can serve it to almost anyone. Our only note is that you use the highest quality dark chocolate you can find because its flavor will stand out. Lastly, the beauty of this dessert is in its simplicity, so serve it by itself or with a few berries and some freshly whipped cream, but feel no need to embellish with anything more.
Gallery
Recipe Summary
Ingredients
Directions
Chef's Notes
If you don’t want to bother with a double boiler, simply melt the chopped chocolate in the microwave by heating it on 30% power for 30 second intervals, stirring between each interval, until fully melted. Melt the butter separately and then stir into melted chocolate. Proceed with recipe as written.