No Bake Chocolate Cake Recipe

I don't know about you, but I didn't accomplish much today. I slept in, halfheartedly ran a few errands, accumulated flowers wherever I went, and spent a good amount of time arranging poppies & peonies into a hodgepodge of mason jars and vases. Flowers aside, I dedicated ten minutes making this chocolate cake. It's the ultimate lazy chocolate dessert. And while I think of it as a no bake chocolate cake, you wouldn't be far off if you called it a slice-able truffle. If you have a some dark chocolate, cream, and something to infuse the cream with, you're in business.

This is the sort of thing I'll throw together if we're having friends over for dinner and I run out of steam on the dessert front. It's less trouble to make than it is to go out and buy something. A small slice goes the distance. It's intense, it's hardcore chocolate, and paired with a touch of whipped cream it's a total crowd-pleaser. I infused the cream used in the cake with espresso and allspice in this version, but you could play it straight, or take it in any direction you're inclined.

The choice of pan warrants a mention. You end up with with ~ two cups of batter, and for the most part you can pour that into any small-ish, parchment-lined cake pan you like. The parchment is important if you ever want to get the cake out of the pan. For this cake, I used a little loaf pan I like, but I've done this in small spring-form pans, and on occasion little tart pans. Just keep in mind, a bigger pan will mean a thinner slice. A small loaf pan like this yields a deeper slice, and so on. It's hard to screw up - I mean, it's a slice-able truffle cake.

No Bake Chocolate Cake

butter, to grease pan
8 ounces / 225 g 70% chocolate, well chopped
8 ounces / 225 g heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon allspice (optional)
2 teaspoons finely ground espresso (optional)
1/4 teaspoon fine grain salt
cocoa powder, to serve

Lightly butter a 6-inch / 15cm springform pan or equivalent - I typically use little loaf pans which are less common, but many small pans will work here (see main entry). Line with parchment paper and set aside.

Barely melt the chocolate in a double boiler over gentle heat.

In a separate medium pan heat the cream over gentle heat. Stir in the allspice and the espresso, if using. When the cream is very warm / hot to the touch, remove from heat and stir in the salt.

Pour the chocolate into the cream, and very slowly and steadily stir until everything comes together smoothly. Make sure the components aren't at all separate. Pour into the prepared pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled throughout, a few hours, or overnight.

When ready to serve, remove from the pan, let set at room temperature for ten minutes or so, dust with a bit of cocoa powder, and slice. Alternately, you can slice and serve from the pan.

Prep time: 10 min