February’s Daring Bakers challenge was a flourless chocolate cake to be served with vanilla ice cream. I’ve made a similar cake in the past, so this particular challenge wasn’t all that terrifying.

The cake turned out really dense and brownie-like. The cake will taste very much like whatever chocolate you use, so keep that in mind when you’re shopping for chocolate.

I made a vanilla ice cream from “Perfect Scoop” and it was so good. If you have an ice cream maker, you need this book.

Chocolate Valentino
from “Sweet Treats” by Chef Wan
16 ounces semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 large eggs, separated
Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often. While your chocolate-butter mixture is cooling, butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.

Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry). With the same beater beat the egg yolks together. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.

Fold a third of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining two-thirds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter.

Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C. Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C. (If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.)

Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes, then unmold.

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE’s blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef. We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.