La Bête Noire (The Black Beast)

A Perfect Flourless Chocolate Cake

La Bête Noire (The Black Beast) is truly a dangerous beast as once it is made, you will find yourself mysteriously in front of it at the strangest times of the day, slicing off “just a sliver” to have “just one more taste” of the lush, velvet silken depths ofÂ intense black chocolate. It will coat your mouth and your throat and momentarily suffocate until you gasp to savour the meticulous and complex flavour. My God, it is the truly best chocolate cake I have ever made. Not surprisingly, there is eighteen ounces of the best dark chocolate you can lay your hands on in it. I use 60% Callebault.

It is very important to ensure that the chocolate is in smaller pieces. The first thing I do is weigh the chocolate on the Thermomix, then I chop away.

I then put the water and sugar into the TM bowl, and boil it. The butter is then scaled in and the chocolate added; together they melt into the sugar syrup.

The whisk is then placed into the TM bowl and each egg is added, also through the lid of the bowl, one at a time.

The thick concoction is poured into the previously prepared ten inch spring form cake pan. The cake pan has a buttered bottom and a parchment round on it, also buttered. I used three huge heavy purpose pieces of aluminum paper to wrap around the pan in such a way that water could not get into the pan. The pan must be placed in a larger baking tray. I used my prized turkey roaster. Boiling water is poured to go a little over half way up the side of the spring form pan, and it is popped into a hot oven immediately.

I actually banged it a good few times on the counter to rid it of all of the air bubbles first. Once baked, it is removed from the oven and foil, but left on a cooling rack until completely cooled. The ganache is made at that time, and poured over the cake while it is still in the pan. This needs to be refrigerated at a minimum of two hours until the ganache icing has set.

Remove from the pan and slice into thin slices. A raspberry, cranberry, or cassis coulis would make a lovely garnish on the plate. I served it with mint and raspberries as both were in my garden.

Oh, my goodness! My sensory centre just went into overdrive just looking at the photograph above. It is so easy to make in my Thermomix. I initially made it for Marie and Gregg’s thirtieth anniverary celebration in honor of Gregg, but made it again the very next day for dinner guests. And I will be making it the very next opportunity that arises. Even if I have to make one up!

La Bête Noire

Ingredients for the Cake

200g water
130g granulated sugar
130g unsalter butter, room temperature
500g dark bittersweet chocolate
7 large eggs
cranberry compote, cassis coulis, or fresh raspberries, optional, for garnish

Ingredients for the Ganache Icing

250 g heavy cream
210g dark bittersweet chocolate

Instructions for the Cake

Preheat the oven to 350Â°F
Butter 10 inch spring form pan; cut out parchment paper circle to fit in the bottom of the pan and butter it, too
Wrap three layers of heavy duty foil around the outside of the pan to the top of the rim (not because the cake will rise above the pan, but to ensure water from the Bain Marie will not seep into the pan)
Weigh chocolate on the lid of the TM bowl; set aside
Scale water and sugar into the TM bowl and set time to 9 minutes, temp to Varoma at speed 2
Chop chocolate into small chunks while the sugar syrup is cooking
Heat a pot or kettle of water on the stove for the Bain Marie
Scale butter and chocolate into the TM bowl with the sugar syrup remaining in it; set time toÂ 4 minutes, temp to 37Â°C at speed R2
Insert butterfly into the TM bowl: timeand set the time for 1 minute; whisk at speed: 3-4 adding eggs through lid, one at a time
Pour batter into prepared pan
Place cake pan into the bottom of a large roasting pan; carefully pour hot water into roasting panÂ to comeÂ half way up sides of cake
Bake until centre no longer moves when pan is gently shaken, 45 to 50 minutes
Remove from hotwater bath and foil immediately; transfer to rack and cool completely in pan

Instructions for the Ganache Icing

Weigh chocolate on the lid of the TM bowl; set aside
Scale heavy cream into the TM bowl and set time toÂ 3 minutes, temp to Varoma at speed 2
Chop chocolate into smaller bits
Add chocolate into the TM bowl and set time toÂ 2 minutes, temp to 37Â°C at speed R2
Pour ganache directly over completely cooled cake; even better if the cake has been refrigerated
Bump out any air bubbles and refigerate for a minimum of two hours, until icing has set
Remove from pan and plate with desired garnish (cranberry compote, cassis coulis, fresh raspberries)