When do you know that you are a chocoholic? Not simply a shy one, someone whose answer to the question “Do you like to eat chocolate?” is “Yes, I do not mind a piece occasionally”, but a real ferocious one! If one day goes by and you feel miserable because you did not have your daily chocolate intake? After an hour, two maybe? If you miss your daily after-lunch carreau de chocolat ? — I cannot even be satisfied with one, I need two pieces. If you eat dark chocolate, milk or white? Purists would argue that white chocolate is only sugar, and milk chocolate does not fall far behind. Or, you actually discover that you are a real addict when, only a few days after Christmas, not weeks, the first cake that you imagine baking is a very rich, dark chocolaty cake, one that is almost pure chocolate. Tell me, but I think that for me, it is quite clear. I had that very thought and impulsive desire to bake anything chocolate, dark and rich only a few days after the holiday season was over. As I reflected on that behavior, I wondered what it actually meant and realized that I must be the victim of an addiction: I am a real chocoholic.
Yes, I like chocolate that much. When it is dark, between 65 and 80% cocoa contents — a higher cocoa percentage sends an electrical shock to my stomach — en tablettes (chocolate bars), in desserts, when it is messy and runny, or still warm, melting slowly in your mouth. I cannot resist, really. And, if one day goes by and I have not had my intake, I think about it and start craving it. When going on a vacation, there are always bars of chocolate hidden between piles of clothes in my luggage. “Au cas où,” I tell P (just in case). When I come back from my regular trips to France, I always have a réserve with me, dreading each time that customs agents are going to sniff it! Whenever we go to the movies, P. always makes sure to ask me: “Tu as pris du chocolat ?” (Did you take some chocolate?) There is always a piece in my handbag. While we hear people around us munch away on pop corn, we gulp down chocolate. Friends visiting us know about the réserve as well, and happily steal a few pieces. At my parents’, we talk about le tiroir de chocolat (the chocolate drawer). At our house, the secret place is the chocolate box placed on the shelf in the living room, with its real “La boîte de chocolat” inscription on it, a gift from friends that know us well. Most of the time, there are more chocolate bars than the box can contain, hence numerous bars are placed on top each time I buy a new one. And I even hate the idea of collecting things. So if I briefly run my eyes over this list, the diagnosis is pretty simple: I have all the recognizable chocoholics symptoms.
I had had in mind to bake this cake for quite a while but mainly forgot, pressed by too many other dishes I wanted to cook. So when I recently came across this recipe, by pure luck really, I was thrilled. Extracted from a small All About Chocolate booklet received as a gift from the magazine Elle à table, I had a hard time refraining myself from not making many more chocolate sweets, all at once. They all looked evilly good. Le vrai bonheur ! (True happiness). This chocolate cake, however, won over the others, erasing any possible hesitation on my end: it did not take much to make, and was easy and quick to complete, perfectly suited for the spontaneous craving.
Outcome?
Wow!
Ça, c’est plutôt riche. The real chocolate cake for the chocoholics, when only eating a small piece at a time can do. This cake is rich but also not, it seems. How can I describe it well? Since it is mostly a flourless moist chocolate cake, it definitely melts in your mouth. Of the kind of taste that you hope will stay with you for ever. Not convinced? Too much? You will have to check it for yourself. Really. For me and P., it was a winner, one that triggers many “Mmmmmmm” after the first bite. When I gave a piece to my friend R. — ’cause as hard as it is, you have to share it, you see — I saw her eyes open wider as she swallowed it down slowly, as if saying “Mon Dieu, Béa!”
If you do not manage to finish your slice, pas de problème, I will.
recipe adapted from “30 Recettes Tout Chocolat”, Elle à table
You need:
- 7 oz dark chocolate, 64 or 70 % cocoa, I used Varlrhona
- 7 oz butter
- 5 large eggs
- 8 oz fine sugar (instead of 9 oz suggested in the original recipe)
- 1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
Steps:
- Preheat your oven at 375 F.
- Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler.
- Transfer into a bowl and add the sugar. Mix with a wooden spoon.
- Let cool a little before adding the eggs, one after the other, stirring well between each.
- Add the flour.
- Pour this batter in a square 8″ mold lined with a sheet of parchment paper (easier to unmold). Place in the oven for 25 to 30 mns (the original recipe called for less time). When shaking the cake gently, the middle should still be a little soft. Remove from the oven and let completely cool on a cooling rack. Be careful as when warm, the cake is fragile.
recette adaptée du livret “30 Recettes Tout Chocolat, Elle à Table”
Ingrédients :
- 200 g de chocolat noir, 64 ou 70% de cacao
- 200 g de beurre
- 5 gros oeufs
- 230 g de sucre (au lieu de 250 g dans la recette d’origine)
- 1 càs de farine
Étapes :
- Préchauffez votre four à 190 C.
- Faites fondre le chocolat et le beurre au bain-marie.
- Transférez dans une jatte. Ajoutez le sucre et mélangez avec une spatule en bois.
- Laissez refroidir un peu, puis ajoutez les oeufs, un à un, en mélangeant bien à chaque fois.
- Ajoutez alors la farine.
- Versez votre préparation dans un moule carré de 20 cm de côté, recouvert de papier sulfurisé (plus facile à démouler). Mettez au four pendant 25 à 30 mns (la recette d’origine indique moins longtemps). Le milieu du gâteau doit trembler quand vous le bougez. Sortez-le du four, attendez quelques minutes avant de le démouler délicatement sur une grille. Laissez complètement refroidir avant de déguster.
Un superbe classique pour fondre de chocolat
merci pour tes belles photos, as usual
Oh, my mouth is watering….
Bea,
How beautifully you describe the state of the chocoholic!
My kind of dessert! Lovely, Bea!
Isn’t it wonderful that doctors now say dark chocolate is good for your heart? That’s the kind of medical news I like!
Il est bien plus appétissant que sur le livret !! ;o)
Bravo Béa et au fait,merci pour tes voeux, cela m’a fait très plaisir.
i do love flourless chocolate cake.
and i believe you know me to be a true chocoholic as well.
je vais arrêter de dire que tes photos sont à tomber…mais vraiment je le pense fort je suis chocoaddict grave en plus!
This is seriously too much, arrest me, handcuff me and keep me out of there!
Je ne suis pas fan de chocolate mais j’adore te lire lorsque tu parles de ta passion pour le chocolat … Et quelles photos !
Thanks, Bea! I love flourless chocolate cakes. I’m a big fan of very dark chocolate as well, although my favorite way to have it will always be sandwiched in a toasty roll or baguette. (Not a whole baguette. Just part of one. Otherwise, I’ve be the Fatpanda.)
– Chubbypanda
Looks scrumptious, and I too would be ready for a slice of this cake, even so soon after the holidays.
One vital piece of information seems to be missing (unless I read too quickly): what temperature should the oven be heated to?
Many thanks!
Astrid
Le problème avec ce genre de gâteau au chocolat, c’est qu’on ne peut absolument pas se contenter d’une seule part… :O/
Amicalement blog,
Ingrid
ahhhh, la chocoholic, j’avoue que tu as bien tous les symptomes, j’ai les mêmes 😉 et ton gâteau, je le connais, je l’ai souvent réalisé, mais ça fait un petit moment que je ne l’ai pas refait… entre temps, d’autres sont passés entre mes mains, donc un fabuleux pavé au toblorone, piqué chez blanc d’oeuf, qui fait dire hummm aussi… pourtant, en regardant tes photos, je sais que je vais refaire celui que tu présentes aujourd’hui, et oui! impossible de résister
Alors moi je suis aussi chocoholic, y a pas photo !!! Surtout avec une recette comme celle-là, bravo
Amitiés
Claude
J’utilise la même recette (2 CS de farine pour ma part) et je dois dire que… Mamma mia, this is a killer cake!
J’adore ce type de gateau, si on le fait en portion individuelle (moule à muffin) et cuisson 7 à 10 min) ca devient un coulant très apprécié chez nous 🙂
Toujours des photos magnifiques. Bonne année.
Oh WOW! I have been dreamign of making a flourless chocolate cake for a lunch party that I have coming up – and now I think I’ve found my recipe! This looks absolutely astounding – and the pictures are wonderful, as always.
I’m no chocaholic, but I wouldn’t mind having a slice of this flourless chocolate cake! I’ve never made one before, but I may have to give it a try this weekend!
Chocaholics are wonderful folks! This looks so good, I may have to give in and bake.
Je fais partie du club aussi. Pas pour les gateaux, mais pour le carre de chocolat indispensable au bon deroulement de la journee.
I’m crazy about chocolate and I’m not ashamed to say I love white chocolate… Excuse me the purists, but I like it a lot! 😀
This cake is superb, Bea, how am I supposed to keep on a diet with the recipes you’ve been posting here? 😀
I’ll eat all types of chocolate…but my fav is dark 🙂
I am guilty as a hopeless chocoholic and that rich looking chocolate cake you have is making me want to go home and bake up a batch of it!
Que le 1er non-chocoholic te jette la 1ere pierre… Ca ne sera certainement pas moi !!!
Dark, white, milk, pink. blue…whatever the chocolate, I’ll eat it.
How good of you to confess, the cake looks delicious. Funnily enough, I just made a similar cake, even though chocolate’s not always my thing.
I found your blog among the nominees for the food blog awards. Congratulations and best wishes for a very good 2007.
Ha! You should talk to my wife, Béa. She too carries a bar of dark chocolate in her handbag. I’m sure your cake is delicious, though it looks and sounds rich and gooey enough to qualify as a brownie. Actually, with only a tablespoon of flour it’s barely even that.
superbe…quelle texture!
C’est drôle je suis en train de préparer un billet tout chocolat, ça devrait te plaire 🙂
A bientôt
il a l’air parfait ce gateau… un grand bravo pour vos photos !
Wow! 1 c.à s. de farine! Je le ferais ce gâteau sur le champs, mais si tôt après les fêtes… Je risquerais de faire mourir mon conjoint d’un arrêt cariaque! J’attendrai p.-ê. un tantinet plus longtemps… Peut-être! Superbe photographie sur ce site, j’en suis jalouse!
I also suffer from the same condition! And I do love the sound of that cake…it’s very similar to one that I make (I found the recipe on Chocolate & Zucchini), also 1 tablespoon of flour 🙂 Decadent! This is how I like my chocolate…dark and rich!
Merci Sophie!
Lydia, that is a good sign 😉
Anita, I guess I must be a real one!
Kat, yes I know you are one too!
Lisa, oh yes, I had my annual recently and my doctor told me I should never let go of this. As a matter of fact, he found me so healthy!
Thalie, merci beaucoup de ton passage à toi aussi!
Connie, yes yes, you are a victim too. I know!
Mercotte, ah oui, toi aussi mon amie, une vraie accro, je le sais 😉
Jennie, ahahh.
Fabienne, merci. Ca me fait plaisir de l’entendre.
Chubbypanda, that is funny! 😉 I love the fatpanda mention 😉
Astrid, c’est dans la recette. Merci!
Ingrid, ah oui, c’est vrai, mais on essaie!
Alhya, tu en es une vraie toi aussi. J’ai vu tes bûches formidables. Prise la main dans le sac.
Claude, j’en suis sûre, tu n’es pas suisse pour rien! 😉
Mitsuko, ah oui, j’adore le nom que tu lui donnes. Killer cake indeed!
Texmex, ah quelle bonne idée, je n’y aurais pas pensé! Merci du tuyau.
Jeanne, I hope you like it. Be prepared 😉
Ellie, no chocoholic?? ah lucky you!
Tanna, yes I think we have a certain joie de vivre, like people liking good wine 😉
Gracianne, ah oui, c’est bien vrai. Sans le carreau (ou les deux), la journée perd de son charme.
Patricia, oh yes white chocolate can be excellent! No shame!
Jeff. I bet!
Veron, impulse!
Soho, quel beau proverbe! Je retiens.
Peabody, blue and pink. I would love to try these 😉
Mercedes, ah nice. Thanks for your visit btw.
Smari, thanks a lot for your nice note and visit. We are neighbours, did you know that?
Rob, your wife is a very wise woman!
Sooishi, ah je m’empresse d’aller voir!
Clairel, merci!
LyB, merci beaucoup. C’est vrai, j’ai été terrible de faire cela si proche des fêtes 😉
Joey, ah nice!
it is true, my dear Bea, your chocolate cake made my entire head… well, i can only say… melt! i loved how you pulled it out of your purse just as i said, ‘it would be nice to finish this lunch with something sweet.’
Bea – I am reading “Chocolate: A Bittersweet Saga of Light and Dark” that I picked up at the airport on my way back from Boston, and couldn’t help but think of your post when I read the section on Chocolat. There is a term, un chocodépendante that the book translates to “a chocoholic with class” and it seems to fit perfectly! I think that you’d enjoy the book…
-L
Pingback: La Tartine Gourmande » Falling for Chocolate, once more — Faiblesse pour le chocolat, encore une fois
I am in love with this website. I have so much work to do and have been procrastinating all morning …just reading.
Question. How do I translate 8 oz of sugar into cup measurements?
Thank you for sharing your multiple gifts.
Ariel
Hi Ariel,
Thanks for your note. I am glad you are enjoying my blog. Roughly, 8 oz fine sugar would be 1 +1/8 cups.
Hope this helps!
Bea
Ohh, so yummy and easy to make! I tried it last night as the dessert to a meal inspired by your beet risotto. A perfect conclusion. As always, you’re recipes are stellar.
bea,
it has been a while since you posted this recipe. not sure if you will check this comment.
I am wondering if i can substitute sugar with brown sugar. i am sure i will have to reduce it to create a much less intense flavor. you think it will work?
xoxo
Hi Jacqueline,
The problem with substituting white with brown sugar is that it might change the texture of the cake. It is already a very dense and rich cake. Perhaps trying with a light brown sugar, and yes, as you suggested a little less of it. I personally like to use a Light Organic Sugar Cane, which is better than white and not as heavy as brown. It could be an idea. Let me know what you end up trying!
Pingback: of raves and craves « :: epicurean escapism ::
Pingback: | chocolateilove.info
i am a chocolate addict,,
i love those recipes..
thank you so much.. 🙂
I pulled my back and my neighbor brought me this cake with a quiche. It was heaven. It did not have medicinal powers but sure made the suffering a bit sweeter. Thanks for posting!
So as to not be lurking, I am currently making this for a friend whose husband has been deployed. I think chocolate can cure many of life’s miseries.
Oh Catherine, that’s very sweet!
This cake will be referred to as OMG! cake from now on. It is divine. I only came across this blog last week and had to try this recipe. So easy to make, yet the resulting cake is amazing. I made it to take to a celebration night and just loved watching everyone’s face as it melted in their mouths. This cake is an experience, eyes light up as all thoughts and worries momentarily fade away while the taste and texture of this heavenly cake take over. Am I being a bit over the top? For sure, but so is this cake. Thanks for sharing from a fellow chocaholic
Glad you enjoyed it Janet! Thank you.
I have to second Janet’s comment – this is definitely “OMG! Cake”. It was easy to make and tasted amazing. I made a two layer cake with whipped cream in between and as the icing. I made it for my MIL birthday and there were no leftovers – mind you, there were two cakes that went untouched! I would love to know if this can be made totally gluten free. I think I used whole wheat flour. Would rice or quinoa work? Coconut flour? Garbanzo?
Hi there I baked this cake today. It turned out really oily and soft. I baked it for 60mins in a 9″ cake pan. It did not turn out anything like yours except for the outer most layer. The yellow is like it’s rotting or just very dirty yellow? I would like to know what was wrong with it? My family loves it by the way! I am a fan of your recipes. Keep on going! 🙂