Flourless Chocolate Kahlua Cake - a Guest Post from That Skinny Chick Can Bake (Can she ever!!!)

It's been a busy few days here at The Café as we've welcomed a precious new baby, Emery Kate to our family. The new parents are doing great and acclimating well to life as a threesome. Many thanks for all the well wishes and kind words, we appreciate each of them and have loved sharing our joy with you!

Knowing the next few weeks would keep us busy as bees with a new baby on board, I'm thrilled to have some amazing guest bloggers who have so kindly offered to help out here at The Café. Many of you are already familiar with Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake but if not, you are in for a fabulous treat today! You'll see a glimpse of what I mean in today's post but be sure to also check out her blog for a plethora of delicious recipes, both sweet and savory, all documented with gorgeous photography!

I am thrilled to be guest posting for Chris today! I have made so many of her recipes and can honestly say I am a true blue fan. We  were in the Secret Recipe Club together and I was lucky enough to have been assigned her blog one month. I made these toffee cookies which are still some of my favorite cookies ever. And her cakes are to die for!!!!  Besides being top notch in the kitchen, Chris is a sweet and caring friend, mom and grandmother. While she's taking a little time off from her blog to help out with her newest grandbaby, I thought I'd share one of our favorite desserts...a flourless chocolate cake. And this one has a little twist...Kahlua! 

When I’m invited to a pitch in or asked to bring a dessert to an event, I almost always bring something chocolate.  I have a binder labeled “Chocolate” and I leaf through all the rich, calorie laden desserts searching for inspiration. The flourless chocolate cake wins out for these occasions more often than not. The hubby is somewhat of a chocoholic… OK, a FULL fledged chocoholic…and likes his desserts to be nut-free, coconut-free, mint-free…just pure chocolate goodness.  See why I choose a flourless chocolate cake so often?

So when a group of neighbors decided to plan our second annual winter weekend getaway last February, I knew I’d bring a special indulgence…and if we weren’t too stuffed after dining out, we’d retire to one of our hotel rooms for dessert and continue with stories and laughter. One recipe I spotted called for a good dose of espresso…which the hubby, a non-coffee drinker, often finds too strong. Instead, I added a cup of Kahlua, my favorite coffee liqueur.  Coffee does a beautiful job enhancing the intensity of the chocolate flavor in a dessert. The date for our sojourn was set and my sweet treat decided upon.

This recipe contains only 5 ingredients: chocolate, butter (a whopping one pound!), Kahlua, sugar and eggs. I melted, whisked, poured then baked this cake in a ban marie, or water bath. The day before our holiday, I went on the hunt for beautiful, plump raspberries and picked up some heavy cream to garnish this decadent treat. Before we left, I sliced a piece to photograph. The inside was dense, silky smooth, and creamy. I knew it was a winner. When we gathered back at the hotel that bitterly cold Indiana night, I sliced thin wedges, dolloped a large spoonful of whipped cream over each, then sprinkled with gorgeous red berries. The room grew silent, then the swooning began…along with questions of how I achieved such a marvelous texture. The answer was all in the ingredients…butter, eggs and chocolate did the trick. And placing the cake in a water bath ensured an even baking temperature…another tip for the perfect flourless cake.

Thanks, Chris, for inviting me to share on your fantastic blog today! I know you're enjoying those grandbabies!!!    Liz

Flourless Chocolate Kahlua Cake

12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 pound (4 sticks) butter, cut into pieces

1 cup Kahlua (may substitute espresso)

1 cup  brown sugar

8 large eggs, whisked well to break down whites and yolks

Fresh raspberries

Whipped cream (add powdered sugar and vanilla to taste)

Preheat oven to 350 °. Wrap a 9 inch springform pan with a double layer of heavy duty aluminum foil. Set aside.

Place all chocolate in large bowl. Melt sugar and butter together in microwave. Whisk together till sugar starts to lose its graininess, zapping in microwave again briefly if needed to help dissolve the sugar. Add to chocolate; whisk until smooth. Add Kahlua, then cool slightly. Whisk in eggs beaten eggs.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Put cake pan in roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into roasting pan to come halfway up sides of springform pan. Bake for about an hour, until center of cake is set. A few moist crumbs may remain on toothpick after inserting it into the center of the cake. Remove pan from water.  Unwrap foil and let cool on rack till reaches room temperature. Chill cake overnight.

Run a straight knife around pan sides to loosen cake.  Release from sides of spring-form pan and place on serving plate. If you'd like, you can use a large spatula to remove cake from bottom of spingform pan. 

Serve with sweetened whip cream and fresh berries.

Yield: 20.

Adapted from Bon Appetit