Rich and fudgy bittersweet chocolate cake is moist and dense, but not too sweet. Just five simple ingredients to make this special treat for all the chocolate lovers out there!
I live with a hardcore chocoholic. Me, not so much. I mean, I like chocolate, but I don't need to eat it every day like my husband. His preference is dark chocolate and this cake has his name on it.
Very similar to a flourless chocolate cake, it has just a small amount of flour, it's fudgy and dense but not too sweet. This rich and intensely chocolate cake practically melts in your mouth!
Ingredients
Here's what you'll need to make this cake:
- Bittersweet chocolate or dark chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate, anything between 60% to 70% cacao.
- Unsalted butter
- Four eggs separated, be careful not to get any yolk in the whites or they won't beat properly.
- Sugar
- Flour just a few tablespoons.
- Powdered sugar to dust on the finished cake.
- A cake pan lined with parchment paper and sprayed with baking non-stick spray.
How to make bittersweet chocolate cake
Step 1: Melt chocolate and butter in double boiler.
Step 2: Whisk egg yolks in bowl with sugar until pale yellow.
Step 3: Mix in the flour and chocolate mixture.
Step 4: Beat egg whites with handheld mixer until soft peaks form.
Step 5: Fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.
Step 6: Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake about 30 minutes, cool completely on rack before turning out and dusting with powdered sugar.
Recipe notes and tips
- Any dark chocolate will work, that includes bittersweet, dark or semi-sweet chocolate. I used Belgian dark chocolate chunks with 62% cacao from Aldi's. I recommend 60% to 70% cacao content. Semi-sweet will be the sweetest of the three.
- Use a double boiler for melting the chocolate and butter. I couldn't find mine (in a box somewhere!) so I set a Pyrex glass bowl carefully over the simmering water, making sure it was only exposed to the steam and not touching the water.
- Lining the bottom of the pan with parchment paper helps it not stick for easier removal.
- Spray the parchment-lined bottom and sides with bakery non-stick spray which has flour in it, so easy. But you can certainly do it the old-fashioned way; butter the bottom and sides and then dust with flour, shaking out excess.
- Let the cake cool completely in the pan before turning it out on a serving plate or platter.
- I love this simple and beautiful cake with just a dusting of powdered sugar. But I know there would be no complaints with a dollop of whipped cream or scoop of vanilla ice cream.
This deep, dark chocolate cake is the perfect dessert for entertaining, special occasions and Valentine's Day. It is a chocolate lover's dream! xxo- Kelly🍴🐦
Looking for more decadent chocolate desserts? Here you go!
- Triple Chocolate Cake unbelievably easy and delicious, made with boxed cake and pudding mixes and chocolate chips.
- Chocolate Cream Pie with an Oreo cookie crust.
- Chocolate Mint Cake with Mint Cream Cheese Frosting hello St. Patrick's Day!
- Éclair Cake a simple refrigerator cake with all the chocolate éclair flavors
- Tiramisù not super chocolate-y but fits the bill of a decadent special dessert!
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Recipe source: a neighbor gave me this recipe on a handwritten card many years ago, it appears to have come from an issue of Bon Appetit from the early 1990's.
Bittersweet Dark Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 8 ounces bittersweet, dark or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (not unsweetened)
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces (1¼ sticks)
- 4 large eggs, separated
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 3½ tablespoons all purpose flour
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325ºF. Line bottom of 9-inch round cake pan with 2-inch sides with parchment paper. Spray with non-stick baking spray with flour, or butter bottom and sides and dust with flour. Set aside.
- Place chocolate and butter in double boiler over simmering water, stir until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In large bowl, whisk yolks and sugar until pale yellow. Mix in flour and the slightly cooled chocolate mixture.
- In another bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric handheld mixer until soft and stiff peaks form but not too dry. Fold whipped egg whites into chocolate mixture and fold and stir until incorporated with no white streaks.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake 25 to 35 minutes until toothpick inserted in middle has just a few attached crumbs. Let cake cool completely in pan on a rack.
- Run sharp knife around sides of pan and turn cake out onto plate or platter, remove parchment paper, dust with powdered sugar and serve.
Recipe Notes
- Bittersweet, dark or semi-sweet chocolate will work, look for 60% to 70% cacao content.
- Solid chocolate bars work best, just cut into pieces. I used Belgian dark chocolate chunks and that works perfectly fine, as well.
- Be careful not to get any yolk in the egg whites when separating or they won't whip properly.
- Baking time varies by oven, anywhere between 25 to 35 minutes, mine was perfect at 30 minutes. The cake will have a crackled top with a dense center and just a few crumbs attached to the testing toothpick.
Nutrition
Eddie
Monday 7th of February 2022
I am a hardcore chocoholic. I freely admit it. And dark chocolate is the bomb. So, let them eat Bittersweet Dark Chocolate Cake!