flourless chocolate cake

As a freshman at Baylor, I lived in Collins dormitory on 8^th street. There were about 800 too many girls packed in there and only one kitchen per floor, so luckily my big brother Miles lived just a few blocks away. I would go over to his house to cook sometimes and occasionally even feed his hungry roommates. Once when all the boys were at their frat meeting, I was there by myself making monkey bread and I set off the fire alarm (I guess butter spilling over the edges of a bundt pan into a hot oven will do that?). I panicked a little and ripped the fire alarm right off the ceiling. Fixed that problem.

Yesterday was a similar scenario...

I was making a 5-ingredient chocolate cake for a dinner party Ben and I were supposed to go to and the air started getting smoky, kind of like a dream. I think Ben and I both entertained the thought that the fire alarm might go off (our mini-residence can heat up pretty fast) but were too involved in whatever we were doing to actually get up and do something about it. Then of course it went off, in all its loud glory, to warn us of no real problem! It scared the daylights out of Quimby so Ben saved the day/our ears by pulling it off the ceiling. Good work husBen!

Don’t worry, the cake turned out just fine.

Flourless Chocolate Cake


Adapted from: Gourmet

4 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened)


1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter


3/4 cup sugar


3 large eggs


1/4 tsp salt


1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 375°F and butter an 9-inch round spring-form baking pan. Line bottom with a round of wax paper and butter the paper.

Chop chocolate into small pieces. In a double boiler (or just in your microwave in a glass dish) melt chocolate with butter, stirring, until smooth. In the bowl of a mixer, whisk sugar and eggs. Add in chocolate/butter and mix until smooth. Sift in cocoa powder and salt and whisk again until just combined. Pour batter into pan and bake in middle of oven 20-22 minutes, or until top has formed a thin crust. Cool cake in pan on a rack 5 minutes and release from spring-form. Dust with powdered sugar (sift some on top) for fancy’s sake and serve!