Petit Philippe’s Flourless Chocolate Walnut Cake is full of walnuts, dark chocolate, and bourbon…and it’s less fattening than most chocolate cake. Count us in.
Ingredients:
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
6 oz unsalted butter, cut into pieces
¼ tsp kosher salt
3 Tbsp good bourbon
½ cup ground walnuts*
¼ cup cornstarch
4 eggs, separated
¾ cup sugar (divided)
Directions for Cake: Preheat oven to 350. Spray 8 springform pan** and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Melt chocolate and butter in microwave on 50% power. Stir until smooth and glossy. Add bourbon and salt. Set aside. Stir ground nuts and cornstarch together in small bowl. Set aside.
In large bowl, whip egg yolks and ½ C sugar until pale and very thick and mixture holds a ribbon when the beater is raised. Stir chocolate and nut mixtures into whipped yolks.
In a separate metal bowl, whip egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and whip until soft peaks form. Gradually add ¼ C sugar, whipping on high until stiff and glossy but not dry. Fold ¼ whites into chocolate mixture to lighten it. Add remaining whites and gently fold until incorporated. Pour into prepared pan (or individual cake molds). Bake 40 45 minutes until toothpick shows moist crumbs not dry and not runny. (Bake approx. 19 minutes if using individual 3 cake rings.) Cake will rise quite high and center will fall after baking. If edges puff over the sides of the pan, you can gently coax the excess back into the pan while still warm. Cool completely before removing from pan. May be refrigerated and served later, but allow cake to come fully to room temperature before serving.
Garnish with powdered sugar, lightly sweetened whipped cream and raspberry reduction (pureed raspberries, sugar to taste and a splash of lemon juice, cooked until thick).
Cake is best served at room temperature or barely warm.
*Can substitute other nuts (almonds, hazelnuts) for walnuts. Use a complimentary liqueur depending on the nuts you use.
**I baked in individual 3 cake rings filled about 2/3 high. Dont overfill. Baked for 19 minutes. Makes 10.
