Flourless "Pterophyta" Chocolate Cake

This is the pterophyta cake that helped us win a nifty little popcorn maker at the PostBacc Bake Off last fall.

The name of this cake is the result of a really really bad pun. All the chefs contributed to this cake, but it's a recipe that Chef Eileen taught us after interning at Chez Panisse. First of all, it's a flourless chocolate cake. Secondly, if you look carefully you'll see that the stencil made by Chef Anna looks unintentionally like a fern. Chef Caroline, our resident biology expert, made the astute observation that ferns (pterophyta) don't have flowers. Our cake didn't have any flours in it. Thus, pterophyta cake was born and the name just sort of stuck. =)

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Eileen here: Here is a couple more photos of this flourless chocolate cakes that we've experimented with. I don't quite have an exact recipe, as I've been working mostly by taste. Here's the basic gist though:

Preheat oven to 350.

1. In a double boiler, melt equal parts unsweetened chocolate and unsalted butter. (1/2 cup each) Make sure to use a high coco-butter content chocolate like Guittard (available in the bulk section from Berkeley Bowl). Do not use nestle "chocolate chips" as they will give you a dry burnt mess!

2) Dissolve about 1/2-3/4 c of sugar into melted chocolate mix, or to taste. You may want to make it a tad sweeter than you would like because the rest of the mix will dilute it a bit. Take off heat and cool so that it's not steaming, warm to touch but still liquidy.

3) Whip 5 egg whites until they form stiff white peaks. Save egg yolks! Sometimes when you whip eggs, there will be some liquid underneath the foam that will kinda deflate the volume of the mix so make sure as much of it gets all whipped.

4) Mix the egg yolks into the melted chocolate mix which is warm and shouldn't cook the yolks.

5) Transfer chocolate mix into a large mixing bowl. Fold in egg whites.

7) Butter a 9 inch round or square pan--spring form round pans are the best! Pour in mix to fill no more than half the height of the pan, and smooth out. Bake for 50 minute or until the cake gets a nice crusty top and when you prick the center with a toothpick it comes out clean. Because it's an egg white base, the cake will rise a bit (POOF!) and deflate, but it'll still be delicious!

8) Great with powdered sugar or raspberry puree!