Chocolatey Celebration

This is a festive time of year for GrowinKitchen. Not only it celebrates first anniversary today, but two of my friend also have birthdays on the 11th and 14th. And there's Valentine's Day too. That can only means one thing for me, a great chocolatey celebration. Since I still suck at baking, I try gather up some rather easy chocolate cake recipes and my heart instantly set on a flourless chocolate cake from Masterchef Australia. Super simple ingredients, a bit tricky for amateurs like me, yet a perfection.

Ingredients.

Plus, fresh whipped cream and berries for serving.

Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake
(Adapted from Masterchef Australia)

Ingredients:

• 400 g dark chocolate
• 4 eggs, separated
• 150 g caster sugar
• 2½ tablespoons orange liqueur (you can alter it with grated orange zest and orange juice)
• 300 ml whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon icing sugar
• a handful of raspberries (strawberries work well too)
• melted butter and cocoa powder for greasing

Preparation methods:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C/356°F.
2. Line the bottom of cake pan with baking paper, grease pan with melted butter and dust with cocoa powder.
3. Slowly melt chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir continuously until smooth, then remove and allow to cool.
4. Beat yolks and sugar until pale and thick, pour in the melted chocolate. Add orange liqueur then mix to combine.
5. Whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form, carefully fold into the mixture.
6. Pour the chocolate mixture into the cake pan, place in a bain marie then bake in the oven for 45 minutes. Take out from the oven and let cool.
7. Meanwhile, whip cream and icing sugar until stiff.
8. Remove cake from cake pan, dust with icing sugar then serve it with cream and raspberries.

Yield 12 serves.

In the past few months I've been practicing my hand drawing, and after rediscovered a 9 years old Windsor & Newton's Cotman WaterColours in my college box now I am practicing it too. That's why I can't help but to make an illustration of this recipe and it is so very much fun.

Enjoy your (upcoming) Valentine's everyone!

Illustrated recipe.

This post is also linked to Simple Lives Thursday #82.
The food blog event is hosted by five awesome Iowa bloggers, Diana, Annette, Alicia and Wardeh.