Festive Flourless Chocolate Cake

By Carroll Pellegrinelli

baking.about.com

Everyday is a special occasion with this cake.

Photo © 2005 Carroll Pellegrinelli, licensed to About.com, Inc.

I hope you enjoy this flourless chocolate cake topped with a chocolate ganache and three flavors of chocolate shavings sitting in a pool of raspberry pureè, which makes quite an elegant dessert.

Prep Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 2 hours, 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• For Cake -
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
• 6-1/2 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken in half*
• 9 egg yolks
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 egg whites
• ---
• For Ganache -
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, broken in half**
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ---
• For Garnishing -
• 3/4 cup toasted almonds
• Semisweet, White, Milk and/or Bittersweet Chocolate Bars***
• ---
• For Serving -
• 10 ounce bag frozen raspberries, defrosted
• powdered sugar
• cocoa powder
• ---
• * Or use 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon semisweet chocolate chips
• ** Or use 1 -1/3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ***If used bar semisweet chocolate, just use remaining squares.