FLOUR LESS CHOCOLATE WAVE CAKE
Serves 10 INGREDIENTS
Oil and sugar for the pan 10 ounces semisweet chocolate (preferably 66% to 68% cacao), coarsely chopped
½ cup vegetable or grapeseed oil
3 tablespoons amaretto or dark rum
6 large eggs, separated ½ cup almond flour, sifted if needed to break up lumps 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
Heat the oven to 350 degrees and arrange an oven rack in the center position. Brush the bottom and sides of a springform pan with oil, making sure to coat it all the way to the rim. Dust the inside of the pan with sugar, rotating the pan to coat the entire surface, then tap out the excess. Set the pan aside.
Melt the chocolate mixture: In a large heatproof bowl, combine the chocolate, oil, amaretto and ¼ cup water. Fill a medium saucepan with about 1 inch of water and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer and set the bowl over the pan (the bottom of the bowl shouldn’t touch the water). Stir often with a heatproof spatula, just until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is completely smooth. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly. Thoroughly whisk the egg yolks into the cooled chocolate mixture. It might look separated, which is normal. Whisk in the almond flour, until the mixture comes back together and looks smooth and glossy. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and salt on low speed to break up the whites. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the whites form soft peaks. Gradually add ½ cup sugar in a slow, steady stream, beating constantly. Increase the mixer speed to high and continue to beat until the meringue is very dense and glossy and forms a stiff peak off the end of the whisk. Beat in the vanilla.
Transfer about a quarter of the meringue to the bowl with the chocolate mixture and whisk until just a few streaks remain. Add the remaining meringue in 2 additions, gently folding it into the chocolate mixture each time with a large flexible spatula in order to maintain the airiness of the meringue. Don’t worry if a few streaks remain in the batter; it’s preferable to mix it less rather than more.
Gently pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the surface with the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until the top is crisp, the cake has dramatically risen and a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only a few moist crumbs, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cake cool completely on a wire rack. It will gradually fall and slump in places, making wavy lines all the way around. The cake should pull away from the pan, but cut around the sides with a paring knife or small offset spatula just to make sure. Remove the outer ring of the pan and serve. The cake, well wrapped and stored at room temperature, will keep up to 3 days but is best served on the first or second day.