Flourless Chocolate Bombe Base
I’ve entirely stolen this from cake queen Rose Levy Beranbaum. You’ll need:
6 ounces dark chocolate
yolks of 6 large eggs
whites of 6 large eggs
3.5 ounces (1/2 cup) sugar
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a 1/2 sheet pan (17″ x 12″ x 1″) with parchment and apply cooking spray. Melt the chocolate most of the way in the microwave using several 10-second bursts of high heat, then stir until it’s smooth.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, whip the yolks and HALF the sugar together on medium-high until very thick and fluffy. Add the chocolate and stir on medium, scraping the sides as needed, until the mixture is homogenous. Transfer the mixture to another bowl and wash the mixer bowl and whip well.
Return the bowl to the mixer. Add the egg whites and whip them on medium until they’re foamy. Add the cream of tartar and whip to the soft peak stage. Slowly add the remaining sugar and whip to stiff peaks.
Stir 1/3 of the meringue into the chocolate mixture, then gently fold in the rest, 1/3 at a time. Scrape the mixture into the pan, spreading it evenly, and bake for about 15 minutes, until it springs back when tapped in the center. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.
Dust the top of the cake with cocoa powder and loosen the edges of the cake by running a knife along the rim of the pan. Place another sheet of parchment over the sheet and flip everything over. Gently peel off the parchment paper and cool the cake completely. The cake can be refrigerated or frozen for later use.
Hi Joe. I got really excited when I saw that this was a flourless recipe. I have a family member that suffers from celiac disease. Do you suggest a different alcohol instead of whiskey? Thanks.
Hi Coreen!
Glad you like this (at least in principle!). As for other alcohols, any kind of whiskey works of course, you could also use cognac, and that’s not even getting into the wide world of liqueurs and all the flavors they bring to the table.
Hope that helps!
– Joe
Thanks so much Joe! I’ll be trying this one with cognac.
Hi Joe,
This cake looks delicious, I love flourless chocolate cake! This recipe inspired a couple of questions about proportions that I thought you might be able to answer. I have a flourless chocolate cake recipe that uses 4.5 ounces of chocolate, 4.5 ounces of sugar, 2 ounces of butter, and 3 separated eggs (it yields a rich cake that fits in an 8 inch tart pan).
How would the increased proportion of eggs in your recipe, coupled with the decreased proportion of sugar, alter the texture of this recipe compared to the one I use? What effect will the butter have? Any insight into these things would be appreciated, and I apologise if you have covered this a similar question in a previous post!
Thanks,
Cristina
Hey Cristina!
Great question. This flourless base is specifically formulated for frozen application like a bombe. The higher proportion of egg translates into more egg foam, and that added foam means more air cells in the cake. Those air cells make the cake easier to cut when it’s frozen. That’s the biggest difference between this and a standard flourless. Does that answer your question?
– Joe
Hi Joe,
Thanks for your reply, yes, you have answered my question. I can imagine that the recipe I use would be very hard to cut into when frozen, although believe me, it is delicious at room temperature. : – ) Thanks very much for your help! Good luck with the bombe.
Kind regards,
Cristina
I’m sure it is. Flourless chocolate cake is dangerous stuff…you can just keep eating and eating and eating…
Anyway I can. Cheerio!
– Joe
Hi Joe,
This indeed looks a fabulous cake – and as Coreen said, even better that people with gluten intolerance can enjoy it too. Will be making this for my Coeliac friends (as well as for everyone else as it looks so yummy!) May try it with a cherry liqueur as I love the combination of cherries with chocolate!
Thanks, and keep up the awesome work!
Joy
Let me know how it goes, Joy! It seems quite tender…I don’t know how it will stand up in a layered pastry-type application, but it may ll work!
– Joe
Hi Joe,
Do you think this recipe would work with white chocolate, even if a bit on the sweet side?
Kathleen
ps. LOVE your blog! You are a wonderful writer 🙂
Hi Kathleen!
I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. I’m not sure the extra sweetness would even be all that noticeable. If you try it send me the results please as others will surely be interested.
And thanks very much for the terrific compliment! I’ll be feeling good about myself all day! 😉
Your friend,
– Joe