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French Flourless Chocolate Torte

French Flourless Chocolate Torte
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
25 min
Yields
12 servings

The balsamic vinegar is the key to getting a nice crust to this cake. Don’t worry if you see the cake rise up, then fall and even develop a few cracks– that’s part of the recipe.

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ingredients

14
ounce bittersweet chocolate, chopped
½
cup unsalted butter, cut into pieces
7
large large eggs, at room temperature and separated
1
tbsp balsamic vinegar
½
cup + 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1
tsp vanilla extract
½
tsp salt
Icing sugar, for dusting
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directions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan and coat it with sugar, tapping out any excess.

Step 2

Melt the chocolate and butter in a metal bowl placed over a pot of barely simmering water, stirring gently until smooth. Set aside (it can still be warm when added to the batter).

Step 3

White the egg whites with the balsamic until foamy, then add 2 tablespoons of sugar, whipping until they hold a soft peak when the beaters are lifted. Set these aside.

Step 4

Whip the yolks with the remaining ½ cup of sugar, vanilla and salt on high speed until they hold a ribbon when the beaters are lofted, about 3 minutes. Fold the melted chocolate in by hand (you can use a whisk to start and then switch to a spatula) and then fold in the whipped whites in 2 additions. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top of the torte looses its shiny and souffles a little (the torte will collapse a bit after it is pulled from the oven, and a crack or 2 may develop – that is expected). Cool the torte in its pan on a cooling rack and chill for at least 2 hours before slicing to serve.

Step 5

To serve, run a palette knife along the inside edge of the pan and release the springform ring. Use the same palette knife to loosen the cake from the bottom and slide it onto a platter. Dust the cake with icing sugar.

Step 6

The torte is best served lightly chilled. It can be made and chilled up to 2 days in advance, but pull it from the fridge at least 2 hours before serving, to bring out the full flavor of the chocolate.

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