Flourless Chocolate Cake from Viking River Cruises

From Viking River Cruises, I bring you one of their wonderful recipes that they gather from their travels through the world.

FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE

This dense moist cake is like a giant chocolate truffle – crunchy on top with a deliciously fudgy center. This extremely rich treat is so simple to make that it’s popular all year round. And you can serve it to your gluten-free friends without any apologies. You can make it in advance, then take it out of the refrigerator an hour or two before serving because it tastes even better the day after you make it.

Ingredients

6 T unsalted butter, room temperature 

2/3 C walnut pieces 

3/4 C & 1 T walnuts, chopped 

8 oz dark chocolate, chopped 

3 T unsweetened cocoa powder 

1/4 tsp baking powder 

1/4 tsp salt 

1 C granulated sugar 

4 lg eggs 

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 

Garnish

Chocolate shavings 

Raspberries with sauce 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Grease an 8-inch springform pan with a small amount of butter and set aside. Place 2/3 C of walnuts in work bowl of a food processor and pulse until coarsely ground. Set aside. Place chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high in a microwave at 30-second intervals, stirring between intervals, until chocolate has melted and is smooth. Set aside. In a medium bowl stir together cocoa powder, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture has turned pale and creamy, about 5 minutes. Spoon in chocolate and vanilla and beat until just blended. Fold in ground walnuts, chopped walnuts, and cocoa powder mixture. Pour into prepared springform pan and bake until cooked through, about 35 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack. Run a small knife around edge before releasing sides of springform pan. Serve at room temperature and garnish with chocolate shavings and raspberries in raspberry sauce.

Makes 8-10 servings.