Flourless Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
September 4th, 2012
This cake is without a doubt a celebration cake.
This gorgeous, rich chocolaty confection comes from my lovely friend Jenna Weber over at Eat, Live, Run. I just adore Jenna, and today we are celebrating the launch of her very first book: White Jacket Required: A Culinary Coming-of-Age Story.
This is an autobiography studded with wonderful and comforting recipes, one of which, with Jenna’s blessing, I am sharing with you here today.
Flourless Chocolate Cake is by nature, rich and decadent and completely chocolaty! It would really be so delicious even on its own, but it is somehow made even better with the addition of vanilla buttercream frosting. And because I had so many ripe figs, I couldn’t help but crown the beautiful cake with freshly sliced figs. I could see how this would be similarly wonderful with fresh berries.
I hope the simplicity and the beauty of this recipe will encourage you to read Jennas story and explore her recipes further. But she can always be found over at Eat, Live, Run where she generously posts non-stop creative and tasty recipes.
To make this gorgeous cake, this is what you do:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Thoroughly butter two 9-inch cake pans, then dust each lightly with flour and set aside.
Next, you make the cake layers. In a small saucepan over very low heat, melt chocolate and butter together.
While mixture is melting, whip eggs in a stand mixer at high speed.
After about 3 minutes, when eggs start to become thick and pale, add sugar slowly.
Continue whipping on high until the mixture is thick, pale, and ribbony, about 6-8 more minutes.
Slowly fold melted chocolate into the egg-and-sugar mixture, gently turning with a rubber spatula so that batter stays light and airy.
Pour batter into cake pans and bake for 30 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool in cake pans for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of cakes and transfer from pans onto a wire rack to cool completely.
While cakes are cooling, make the frosting:
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until combined. Add milk and vanilla extract, and continue beating on high until the frosting is thick and light, about 5 minutes.
When the cake layers are cooled completely, spread one third of the frosting on top of one layer, and top with the other layer. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting.
Reprinted with permission from White Jacket Required: A Culinary Coming-of-Age Story © 2012 by Jenna Weber, Sterling Epicure, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
Recipe: Flourless Chocolate Cake with Vanilla-Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- Makes two 9-inch cake layers
- For the cake
- -10 ounces (about 2 cups) semisweet chocolate
- -5 ounces butter
- -6 eggs, at room temperature
- -½ cup granulated sugar
- For the frosting
- -2 sticks (½ pound) butter, softened
- -2 cups confectioner’s sugar
- -1 tablespoon milk
- -2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Thoroughly butter two 9-inch cake pans, then dust each lightly with flour and set aside.
- Make the cake layers:
- 2. In a small saucepan over very low heat, melt chocolate and butter together.
- 3. While mixture is melting, whip eggs in a stand mixer at high speed.
- 4. After about 3 minutes, when eggs start to become thick and pale, add sugar slowly.
- 5. Continue whipping on high until the mixture is thick, pale, and ribbony, about 6-8 more minutes.
- 6. Slowly fold melted chocolate into the egg-and-sugar mixture, gently turning with a rubber spatula so that batter stays light and airy.
- 7. Pour batter into cake pans.
- 8. Bake for 30 minutes, then remove from oven and let cool in cake pans for 10 minutes. Run a knife around edges of cakes and transfer from pans onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- While cakes are cooling, make the frosting:
- 9. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until combined. Add milk and vanilla extract, and continue beating on high until the frosting is thick and light, about 5 minutes.
- 10. When the cake layers are cooled completely, spread one third of the frosting on top of one layer, and top with the other layer. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting.
- Reprinted with permission from White Jacket Required: A Culinary Coming-of-Age Story © 2012 by Jenna Weber, Sterling Epicure, an imprint of Sterling Publishing Co., Inc.
- Author Bio
- Jenna Weber, author of White Jacket Required: A Culinary Coming-of-Age Story, is the author of the highly successful food blog Eat, Live, Run. In 2007, she attended Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Orlando, Florida. White Jacket Required is her first book. She lives in San Francisco, California. Go to www.eatliverun.com for an up-to-the-minute look at Weber’s world of food.
Preparation time: 10 minute(s)
Cooking time: 30 minute(s)
Number of servings (yield): 12
This cake is beautiful! You know, I’ve never had a fresh fig before! And I seriously need to get into them. I also need to get Jenna’s book! So many things to do, but so, so, worth it!
4:20 am on September 4th, 2012
Love this cake!
7:25 am on September 4th, 2012
Fresh figs are certainly something special! If you are going for raw ones the first time- My fav way to eat them is with cheese and honey. BUt what doesn’t taste good like that I suppose?
Yes- Jenna’s book is great. I am so proud of her :)
7:32 am on September 4th, 2012
Thanks Maria!!
7:33 am on September 4th, 2012
I want that cake…like today, I want that cake! What a gorgeous presentation, Heather! I will be on the look out for Jenna’s book. If this cake is any indication of more to come, count me in!
8:22 am on September 4th, 2012
I love the figs as a garnish. Beautiful!
10:28 am on September 4th, 2012
Yay! So happy to celebrate with you :)
10:44 am on September 4th, 2012
Heather, these photos are gorgeous! And I can’t wait to read Jenna’s book, she is so adorable.
12:16 pm on September 4th, 2012
Thank you so much Jackie! Yes- Jenna is so cute- I am so excited for her!
6:23 pm on September 4th, 2012
Me too!!
6:23 pm on September 4th, 2012
Thanks Carrie! It is hard to resist those gorgeous ripe figs!
6:23 pm on September 4th, 2012
Love those beautiful figs on top. Makes the cake look so unique!
8:41 am on September 5th, 2012
Yummy cake! I can’t wait to read Jenna’s book – my copy should be arriving tomorrow – she’s great!
5:19 pm on September 6th, 2012
This cake is decorated so pretty, love the colors from the cut figs.
10:31 pm on September 6th, 2012
What a stunning cake, Heather!
2:15 pm on September 8th, 2012
Beautiful! And those figs look so delicious…
12:24 pm on September 13th, 2012
I’m in love with the colour combination – the green and pink of the figs go so nicely with the frosting and cake stand.
2:18 pm on September 13th, 2012
I am going to make this cake this weekend, could I use. A dark chocolate instead of semi sweet?
6:55 pm on September 19th, 2012
totally Jodi- that will be just fine!
8:08 pm on September 20th, 2012
have you ever added vanilla bean paste to a vanilla buttercream frosting? Think that would work?
9:43 am on November 29th, 2012
Julie- ALL THE TIME!!! it is the best- just use the same amount you would normally. I use that paste in most of my baked goods that call for vanilla extract. I also love the speckled effect of the seeds.
9:46 am on November 29th, 2012
So you substitute the paste for the extract?
Got a bday butterfly cake to make for a 4yr old! The only request (gasp!) is no chocolate!
9:47 am on November 29th, 2012
yes- it is a direct swap! CUTE!! have fun baking!
9:55 am on November 29th, 2012
I am sorry to say that the cake fell completely apart even as it cooled in the pan. It was a disaster. It was the first time I tried it and meant for a birthday cake. I must say I am disappointed.
2:23 pm on January 31st, 2013
I am so sorry Erin. There is nothing more disappointed than spending all that time and not having something work out. This recipe belongs to my friend Jenna, who’s book I was helping get the word out about. I had a successful time with her recipe, but I am not sure how to have better trouble shot, since it is not my creation.
If you are looking for a no fail chocolate cake, please try this one. (even if you don’t want all the frosting, the cake itself is perfect. This is my favorite (and mass tested to perfection!) chocolate cake.
Another favorite is this one. Sorry again Erin.
2:37 pm on January 31st, 2013
Thanks for the alternate suggestions Heather…I also had the same experience as Erin and was so upset. However, I ended up just taking the cake pieces, once I’d pried them out of the pan, and sticking them in 4 little ramekins. I cut the icing recipe in half, which was just enough to ice the ramekins.
4:43 pm on March 5th, 2013
Thanks for the input Laura. I am so sorry. I wonder if I should take down the recipe? What do you think? I feel so bad when something doesn’t work for people…
5:02 pm on March 5th, 2013
Also- brilliant save with the ramekins Laura!
5:02 pm on March 5th, 2013
Thanks for not taking this recipe down! I’m looking for a yummy flourless cake recipe for my gluten free friends! Fingers crossed that it works! I will let you know! :-)
1:49 pm on May 2nd, 2013
SUCCESS! It did crack a little when I was removing from the pan (next time I will use parchment paper), but I was able to reshape it. I wrapped it well and froze it before frosting. I also used fresh raspberries along with the buttercream as a filling. I garnished the top with a few that I had leftover. It was a hit at my niece’s bridal shower! I will definitely use this recipe again. Thanks!
8:57 am on May 5th, 2013