Flourless Chocolate Cake

Posted on | by Claire Dunne

Chocolate … a timeless classic that never gets dull. Teamed with beautiful citrus flavours from a combination of fresh oranges and the Cointreau, this delicious combination gives a lovely decadence set to warm your heart in the cooler months of winter. Enjoy!

Photography and Styling Rachael Lenehan.

Find this recipe and more in our Winter issue, on sale now. 

Flourless Chocolate Cake With Oranges in Cointreau Syrup

Serves 8 – 10

Ingredients – Cake

5 eggs (whites and yolks separated and at room temp)

200 g unsalted butter, chopped.

200 g dark chocolate, chopped.

200 g milk chocolate, chopped.

salt

white vinegar 

Ingredients – Syrup

4 large oranges 

3 tbsp Cointreau 

1 cup water

2/3 cup sugar

HOW TO

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees fan forced. Grease and line a 23 cm spring-form tin.

Over a low heat, melt the chocolate and the butter.

Once the eggs are separated, whip the egg yolks until light and thick. With the whites, add a drop or two of white vinegar and a pinch of salt. Whip the whites until thick and white.

Gently fold the chocolate into the yolk mixture, and then gently follow with the whites.

Once evenly mixed, place in the tin and bake for 30 minutes, keeping an eye on the oven.

When the cake comes out of the oven, it will be high and then will sink down. Pop aside to cool completely.

Meanwhile, with the sauce, peel the oranges and then slice the edges off to create a hexagonal type shape. Then, cut into discs. Place the oranges on a
flat tray.

Tip the Cointreau over the oranges.

Put the sugar and the water in a saucepan and bring to boil. You want the sugar to be completely dissolved and syrup-like. Take off the heat, and carefully tip over the oranges, and pop aside to cool.

When you’re ready to serve, you can go one of two ways: pop the oranges in the syrup on the centre of the cake, or slice the cake up in wedges and serve with the oranges and a dollop of fresh cream.

Notes

  • In terms of how you cut the oranges, the hexagonal shape is the easiest, but if you have the time and wish to segment the oranges, by all means, do – it’s just very time-consuming.
  • The cake can be made a day ahead and stored in the fridge.
  • Grand Marnier would be a lovely substitute for Cointreau. 

This recipe is from our “Bakehouse” section in our 2019 Winter issue, available here.