Torta al Cioccolato
Makes 1 cake.
This rich and gooey flourless chocolate cake will please both the chocolate lovers in your life and those with gluten sensitivities. Don’t panic when the torte collapses in the middle as it cools — it’s normal and expected because it has less structure than a cake made with flour.
11⁄2 sticks unsalted butter,
plus more for pan
Cocoa powder for pan 7 ounces bittersweet chocolate (11⁄4 cups chopped or morsels)
6 large eggs, at room temperature,
separated
1 cup sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt Confectioner’s sugar, for garnish
Fresh sliced strawberries, for
garnish
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Dust with cocoa or flour, and tip it upside down to tap out the excess.
Combine 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 bowl from heat and let the chocolate cool slightly, about 15 minutes.
Whisk egg yolks with cup sugar until pale and thick. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites, gradually adding the remaining cup sugar and the salt while you whisk, until the whites form stiff peaks.
Stir the melted chocolate into the egg yolks. Gently fold the whipped egg white into the chocolate mixture, allowing some streaks of egg white to remain.
Pour into prepared pan and shimmy the pan gently to settle the batter. Bake until puffed and the surface has formed a crust, 40-45 minutes. Don’t bake the cake until it’s completely firm, or it will be dry. Let cool completely on a wire rack before removing from pan.
If you are not ready to bake right away, make batter and refrigerate overnight before baking.
— “Via Carota” by Jody Williams and Rita Sodi with Anna Kovel (Knopf, $40)