This cake is based on one from the brilliant folks at Milk Street Kitchen. What initially caught my eye was the use of bitters in their recipe. It just so happens that we have three different kinds of bitters that I am experimenting with for pastry and the Orange bitters is perfect in this one. The recipe also called for creating a sugar syrup to make a smooth base. We’ve got that covered too, and not with a plain syrup but with our luscious Cocoa Infused Maple. In fact, this recipe is considerably easier with excellent results.
Be aware that this cake is rich. It may appear small but a slim slice will be plenty filling.
Flourless Chocolate Cake with Orange Bitters
4 Tbsp butter, sliced into 8 pieces
6 oz bittersweet chocolate (70% cocoa), cut into bits
2 oz semi-sweet chocolate, cut into bits
1 small navel orange
½ cup Runamok Cocoa Infused Maple Syrup
1/2 Tbsp Runamok Orange Bitters
3 eggs
Creme fraiche or whipped cream
Heat oven to 300. Line an 8” springform pan with parchment and butter the parchment and side of the pan.
In a heat-proof bowl, combine the chopped chocolate and butter. Put a fine-meshed strainer across the top and set aside.
Using a peeler or sharp knife, peel off strips of the outer part of the rind of the orange, avoiding cutting into the white pith below. Cut the orange in half and juice it (you should have roughly 3 tablespoons of juice.) Combine the orange juice and the Cocoa Infused Maple in a small sauce pan with the strips of rind and bring to a low boil. Cook for about five minutes until the rind has softened and the liquid has reduced slightly.
Pour the hot liquid over the strainer, into the bowl of butter and chocolate. Set the strainer with the rinds aside and gently stir the chocolate and butter with a spatula until fully melted. Add the bitters.
When the chocolate mixture is cool, add the eggs one at a time, making sure they are fully incorporated. Pour the mixture into the pan and put into the oven. Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until just set – do not over bake. The cake should move just a little when shaken. Let it cool on the counter and then chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
Slice the reserved orange rind into very thin slivers. Toss with a few spoonfuls of sugar until just coated. You can either make an arrangement of the slivers directly on the whole cake or put some on each individual slice. Slice the cake and serve with whipped cream or creme fraiche. Serves 4-6