My favorite kind of cooking is the kind that makes people happy. While chocolate makes most of us happy, gluten is another story. When looking through Honey & Jam by Hannah Queen, I wanted to make something for everyone – including a certain gluten-intolerant Sauce editor – and so I settled in to make Dark Chocolate Flourless Cake with Pomegranate Ganache.
The ingredients were simple (chocolate and more chocolate, some eggs, cream, butter, etc.) and easily procured, except for the pomegranate seeds, which I could not find despite trips to multiple stores. The directions were straightforward and required basic kitchen equipment like bowls, saucepans, whisks and a springform pan.
The cake and ganache came together in a snap and the result was as expected – a dense, chocolaty slice covered in an equally decadent ganache brightened with the subtle acidity of pomegranate juice. Perfect for winter and gluten restrictions, this flourless chocolate cake was a delight to make and would make any chocolate lover very happy.
Skill Level: Easy to intermediate. While this recipe was simple, others in Honey & Jam require more steps, more obscure ingredients and specialized kitchenware.
This book is for: The dessert lover enamored with seasonal ingredients and a deep desire to make people happy.
Other recipes to try: Pear and Almond Chocolate Cake with Cider Glaze and Chocolate-Cherry Cupcakes with Coffee Buttercream
The verdict: Though the Salt and Pepper Caramel Brownies were complex, the recipe had flaws that led to a cracked, crumbly caramel. This cake, however, was perfection in chocolate form. Winner!
Dark Chocolate Flourless Cake with Pomegranate Ganache
1 9-inch round
For the cake:
8 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
4 large eggs
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
For the ganache and assembly:
8 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup pomegranate juice
1 cup pomegranate seeds
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan.
• In a medium saucepan, warm the chocolate and butter over medium heat until they are just melted. Transfer mixture to a medium bowl and stir in the sugar, salt and vanilla. Let cool. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth. Add the cocoa powder and stir to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until set, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of cake before unmolding it.
• To make the ganache: Place chocolate into heatproof bowl. Pour in cream and pomegranate juice into a small saucepan and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Pour it over the chocolate and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth.
• To assemble the cake: Pour ganache over the top of the cake and sprinkle it with the pomegranate seeds.
Reprinted with permission from Stuart, Tabori and Chang
This article appears in February 2016.