Not to hit you with two dessert posts back to back…but that’s exactly what I’m doing. I’m here to give you another dessert post and there’s nothing to be done about that.

It’s entirely worth it, though. Whereas Atlee’s cake balls are more like a craft project, this almost flourless chocolate cake is dangerously simple and straightforward.

I made this for the first time right after moving in February as part of the kitchen christening. Tragically, Galentine’s couldn’t properly happen this year due to the move, but I did manage a smaller Palentine’s dinner party featuring this as dessert. It was good then, but after a day in the fridge, it was even better. As anyone who has ever heard Ina Garten say anything will tell you, make ahead dishes are best for entertaining. The fact that this cake uses only five ingredients and improves with a day or two in the fridge…well, that makes it a true winner.

It can also be great for diet restrictions, depending on who you’re having to dinner. I’m finding a lot of people who can’t eat dairy lately* can eat butter (thank God for small mercies), and while the tablespoon of flour won’t work for those with Celiac’s, those avoiding flour for other reasons probably won’t take exception. I’m sure it’s also easily replaced with something else, I just haven’t researched that yet.

This decadent little number made its way back to my table when I had my dear friends over for a Father’s Day dinner. After their two-hour trek into the city (double what it should have been, get it together NYC), I like to think this cake made it worth the sweltering car ride.

I have to pat myself on the back because I happen to think the entire meal was perfect for summer entertaining. I had some romesco sauce in the fridge that I served with farmer’s market veggies to start, along with some popcorn and maple lemonade.

For dinner we ate Ina’s curried chicken salad and a simple green salad with vinaigrette. I served the cake at room temp with ice cream and a drizzle of maple butter rum sauce.

As is usually the case with great company, I completely forgot to take photos when we dug in, so I ate this for breakfast later in the week when the light was good. Because I’m 28 and I do what I want. And natural light in king. Now go forth, make this cake for someone you love who can handle at least one tablespoon of flour, and live your life.

Going…

Going…

Gone.

(*Does anyone have any interesting reads to recommend that talk about the recent onslaught of dietary restrictions? I feel like everyone I know can’t eat certain things lately, and I’d love to know more about how our environment is affecting that.)

Almost Flourless Chocolate Cake

From Food52

Ingredients:

7 ounces good quality dark chocolate (I use 60% Ghirardelli, usually)

7 ounces good quality unsalted European butter (like Kerrygold, Plugra, or Vermont Creamery cultured butter)

1 1/3 cups sugar

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

5 large eggs

Note: I like to serve the cake cold, or at the least with something cold like ice cream or whipped cream. A sauce is also great, like caramel or butterscotch.

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 375º F, and butter a 9-inch cake pan. Line the base of the pan with parchment, and butter that, too.
2. Chop the chocolate and melt it in a double boiler (I use a heatproof glass bowl over a simmering pan of water), stirring continuously. Once it begins to melt, add the butter, and keep stirring until both are fully melted.
3. Add the sugar, stir to combine, and set aside to cool slightly.
4. Add the eggs one at time, mixing very well after each. Mix in the flour. At this point your batter should be super smooth.
5. Pour batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for about 25 minutes — or, as the Food52 recipe says, until the center of the cake looks set and the top is shiny and a bit crackly-looking.
6. Let the cake cool in its pan on a rack for 10 minutes; then carefully turn the cake out of the pan and revert it, so that the crackly side is facing upward. (The cake will deflate slightly as it cools.)
7. Allow to cool slightly before serving or storing in the refrigerator.
8. Serve according to the note above, or however the hell you want to.