Flourless Chocolate Blender Cakes with Olive Oil and Coconut Milk

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This is essentially a soufflé for people who aren’t perfectionists.

Basically, if you whip melted chocolate up with eggs, and bake it, it’ll puff up. However, if you aren’t a super-obsessive French pastry chef who measures everything by weight and flawlessly whips egg whites in surgically clean bowls, the puff will fall. That’s why most of us don’t even attempt soufflés.


My question is: who cares if it falls?! The flavor will be just as good, and you’ll get a richer texture inside. I’m okay with that if you are—especially if we can do it all in a blender!

This dessert is all about the chocolate and my other favorite ingredient: olive oil. These two were made to be married, and it’s a sophisticated partnership. I leave it to you how much extra olive oil to drizzle, but if you want to accentuate the darkness of the dark chocolate, go ahead and pour on the oro liquido.

In addition to using olive oil instead of butter, we’re doing a healthy twist on a soufflé by using coconut milk instead of cream and just a touch of brown sugar. The coffee accentuates the flavor of the chocolate.

The recipe can easily be halved or doubled. I usually throw the cakes into the oven just as we sit down to dinner, and they tend to be done right on time for dessert. The seductive aroma of chocolate wafting from the kitchen will let you know when they’re almost ready.

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

Special Equipment: 8 (5-ounce) ramekins

  • 1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for greasing and garnish

  • 7 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

  • 2 Tablespoons natural cacao powder

  • 2 1⁄2 Tablespoons brown sugar

  • 4 eggs

  • 1⁄2 cup hot strong coffee or weak espresso

  • 1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk

  • ice cream, optional

 

DIRECTIONS

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and “grease” each ramekin with the olive oil.

  2. Pour a few inches of water into a small saucepan. Fit a heatproof bowl over the saucepan making sure it doesn’t touch the water. Heat the water to a simmer. Add the chocolate to the bowl and stir gently to melt.

  3. Use a silicone spatula to pour the melted chocolate into a blender. Add the cacao powder, sugar, eggs, coffee, and coconut milk. Blend on high until everything is well mixed. The longer you blend, the more your cakes will rise.

  4. Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared ramekins.

  5. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or until you can clearly see that there is no more liquid on top, 30 to 35 minutes.

  6. To garnish: this is your chance to let the olive oil stand out and make this dessert unique. I recommend anywhere from 1⁄2 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive drizzled on each cake, depending on your personal palate. I love olive oil—as by now you know! If you are serving with ice cream, pour the oil on top of the ice cream for a wow effect. Make sure to bring the bottle to the table.

 

Elana HorwichDesserts, Gluten Free, Vegetarian