Warm Flourless Chocolate Cake Recipe

Prepare and preheat

Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). Grease three 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans or one 9-inch springform with 10 g butter each and line bottoms with parchment. Dust lightly with cocoa powder and tap out excess.

Melt chocolate and butter

Chop the bittersweet chocolate into even pieces. In a heatproof bowl set over a simmering pot of water (double boiler), combine chocolate and 300 g butter. Stir gently until fully melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly (3–5 minutes).

Whisk eggs and sugar

In a large bowl, whisk together 6 whole eggs, 2 egg yolks and 220 g granulated sugar until mixture is pale and slightly thickened (about 2–3 minutes by hand, 1 minute with a hand mixer). Add 1 tsp vanilla and 1 tsp fine sea salt and whisk to combine.

Combine and bake

Temper the egg mixture by folding a small ladle of the melted chocolate into the eggs, then fold in the remaining chocolate until fully combined and homogeneous. Pour batter into prepared pans (batter will be dense). Bake at 190°C (375°F) for 18–22 minutes for individual 8-inch pans (or 28–32 minutes for a single 9-inch), until edges are set and center is still slightly soft — a toothpick will come out with moist crumbs. Remove from oven and let rest 10 minutes, then invert onto a rack or plate. Serve warm or at room temperature. Cakes can be reheated gently (150°C / 300°F for 8–10 minutes) before serving.

Infuse milk and cream

Crush the roasted coffee beans lightly in a mortar or with the back of a spoon to bruise them. In a medium saucepan, combine 300 ml whole milk, 300 ml heavy cream, the split vanilla bean (scrape seeds into the pan and add pod) and the bruised coffee beans. Warm over medium heat until mixture is steaming (do not boil), then remove from heat, cover and steep for 30 minutes to infuse. After steeping, strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove beans and pod, pressing on solids to extract flavor. Return liquid to the saucepan.

Make custard base

Whisk together 120 g granulated sugar, 50 g brown sugar and 5 egg yolks in a bowl until smooth and pale. Slowly warm the infused milk mixture to a gentle simmer. Temper the yolks by adding a ladle of hot milk to the yolks while whisking vigorously, then gradually pour the tempered yolks back into the saucepan with the remaining milk, stirring constantly.

Cook to nappe

Cook the mixture over low–medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or spatula, until it coats the back of the spoon (nappe) and reaches 78–82°C (170–180°F). Do not boil. Remove from heat and strain through a fine sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked bits. Stir in 200 ml buttermilk and a pinch of salt. Chill the custard thoroughly in an ice bath, stirring occasionally, then refrigerate until fully cold (at least 4 hours or overnight).

Churn and freeze

Churn the chilled custard in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions until it reaches a soft-serve consistency. Transfer to a container and freeze at least 4 hours to firm up before serving alongside the warm cake.

Make caramel

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine 200 g granulated sugar and 50 ml water. Stir gently to moisten the sugar and bring to a boil over medium heat without stirring. Swirl the pan occasionally for even caramelization. Watch carefully as the sugar turns amber — when it reaches a rich golden-brown color, remove from heat immediately.

Finish with butter and cream

Carefully add 80 g butter (it will bubble vigorously) and stir until incorporated. Slowly add 120 ml heavy cream while stirring; the sauce will foam. Return to low heat and stir until smooth. Add 1 tsp fine sea salt, taste and adjust. Let cool to warm room temperature before serving. Sauce will thicken as it cools; rewarm gently if too stiff.

Make batter

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). In a bowl sift together 40 g buckwheat flour, 40 g all-purpose flour and 60 g powdered sugar. Whisk in a pinch of salt. In a separate bowl lightly beat 2 egg whites until slightly frothy (do not form peaks). Stir melted 40 g butter and 30 ml milk into the dry ingredients, then fold in the egg whites until smooth and thin — batter should be spreadable (adjust with a teaspoon more milk if too thick).

Bake and shape

Line a baking sheet with silicone mat or parchment. Spoon small rounds (about 1 tbs each) spaced well apart. Use the back of a spoon to spread each round thinly into a 6–7 cm circle. Bake for 6–8 minutes until edges are golden brown. Working quickly while warm, lift each tuille with a thin spatula and drape over a rolling pin or bottle to form a curved tuile, or shape into a crisp curl. Cool completely — tuiles will harden as they cool.

Plate each warm slice of flourless chocolate cake with a generous scoop of roasted coffee bean buttermilk ice cream. Drizzle warm caramel sauce around and over the cake and ice cream. Garnish with a buckwheat tulle placed upright for height, and finish with cocoa nibs or shaved chocolate and a mint leaf if using. Serve immediately so cake is warm and ice cream is cold.