Rice Bowl Tales: 無麵粉巧克力蛋糕 Flourless Chocolate Cake

這是個非常簡單易做的巧克力蛋糕，但在我們心中，它並不只是一個普通簡單的巧克力蛋糕。

This is a very simple and easy to make chocolate cake, but it's no ordinary chocolate cake in our hearts and minds nevertheless.

還記得當我兒女離家上大學時，他們怕我在家無聊，努力的鼓勵我開創一個屬於我自己的部落格。我和女兒為了搜集資料和靈感，會不時互相交換與食物有關的訊息和文章。

就在 2010 年聖誕前不久，我收到一個郵包；是我女兒當時熱心追隨的一個部落格「Orangette」作者 Molly Wizenberg 小姐出版的一本書：「A Homemade Life」。在女兒的力薦下我開始細讀書中的內容，自覺馬上便被吸引。Molly 輕鬆自然地把她的日常生活、某些回憶或特別日子中烹煮的食物交織成故事的寫作手法，深切引起我的共鳴。

於 2011 年 1 月我開始了我的第一篇部落格文章，至今不覺五載。感謝台灣的悦知文化出版社為我在 2014 年 3 月和今年 1 月前後出版了兩本食譜書。那些在我分享生活故事和食譜方面有直接影響的親人好友們，我都已在書中誠懇地道謝了。想起來，我竟忘了提及 Molly，她的書，可說是給我決定成為部落格作者前最後的鼓勵！

When I was first encouraged to start writing a blog by my children, my daughter and I used to send each other food-related news and articles for reference and inspiration.

Shortly before Christmas 2010 I received a parcel in the post; my daughter had recently discovered and had been avidly following a new food blog, Orangette, and found that the creator of the blog, Molly Wizenberg, had written a book, perfectly entitled 'A Homemade Life'. At her urging I started reading, and was instantly enchanted. The ease with which Molly interwove stories from her own life with the recipes that marked certain memories and events resonated deeply with me.

So in January 2011 I started my first blog post. It's been five years, and I have had two recipe books published both in March 2014 and January this year by Delight Press in Taiwan. There were quite a few people who have been directly influenced my decision to share food and writing stories around it, and I have thanked and credited them wholeheartedly in my books. Thinking about it, I realise I have forgotten to mention Molly, it was her book that gave me the final encouragement, and make up my mind to become a blogger myself.

「A Homemade Life」在我們家中仍然是備受鍾愛的一部作品。

' A Homemade Life' has remained a well-loved volume in our house.

Molly 的這個「嬴取心靈與理性的蛋糕」一直是我們有特別需要時的首選。如親人生日、有朋友到訪、母親節等；去年聖誕節，還是款待來賓的主要餐後甜品之一呢。

吃這蛋糕無疑是一種享受，動手做起來竟是難得的輕鬆。它只需要 5 種材料，以最輕柔的臂力拌攪，然後放進烤箱半小時不到便大功告成了！

一個充滿美味豪華口感的巧克力蛋糕，可以滿足任何愛吃甜點和巧克力的捧場者。當然，也包括在坐你家中的客人！

我從 Molly 的食譜中減了少許糖的份量。 Molly 説她的食譜是從這兒取得的。

Molly's "Winning-Hearts-and-Minds Cake" had been our go-to for birthdays; when we had special guests, Mother's Day, and even as our crowning glory Christmas desert last year.

Not only does it go down a treat, it's also incredibly stress-free and easy to make. It only needs five ingredients, the minimum of arm work required for stirring, less than thirty minutes in the oven and voila! A delicious, luxurious chocolate cake that will satisfy all chocolate lovers and dessert eaters, and your guests of course!

I have reduced the quantity of sugar from Molly's recipe which she adapted from this original recipe.

無麵粉巧克力蛋糕

材料 :

黑巧克力 (70%) 200g 折成小方塊
無鹽奶油 (牛油) 200g 切成小丁方
黃幼砂糖 175g
蛋 5 個在小碗中打散備用
中筋麵粉 1 大匙

工具 :

22cm 活動圓型烤盤一個。

Flourless Chocolate Cake

Ingredients :

200g dark chocolate (70%)
200g unsalted butter, cut into cubes
175g golden caster sugar
5 eggs
1 tbsp plain flour

Equipment :

A 22cm spring form round cake tin

做法 Steps :

1. 預熱烤箱至 170C 。把巧克力和奶油 (牛油) 放在大碗中，然後置在一小鍋微沸的水上溶解，注意碗底不要接觸到水面。待奶油和巧克力完全溶化至滑溜，離火。

2. 把糖加進攪溶。

3. 將巧克力混合物放在一旁約 5 分鐘待涼。這步驟很重要，假如在巧克力漿沒放涼前加進蛋液的話，蛋會成固態。趁這個時候，把圓烤盤的底部擦油，放上剪出來的烘焙紙；然後烘焙紙上端和烤盤週圍都塗油。

4. 將蛋液分次加進巧克力混合物中，拌至光滑。

1. Set the oven to 170C. Melt the chocolate and the butter together in a bowl placed over a pan of simmering water. Once all the butter and chocolate has melted and the mixture is silky, take the bowl off the heat.

2. Add the sugar, whisking well to incorporate.

3. Leave the butter/chocolate mixture to one side for at least 5 minutes - this is important as it needs to cool down before you add the eggs, otherwise they will scramble. Whilst this is happening you can take the opportunity to line a round baking tin with baking paper, and butter the baking paper and the inside of the tin.

4. Add the eggs a little at a time to the chocolate mixture, stir well between each addition until smooth.

5. 加入麵粉繼續拌至光滑無粒。

5. Add the flour and whisk well again until all the flour is incorporated.

6. 把巧克力混合物倒進烤盤內。置烤箱內烤 20 - 30 分鐘。

6. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin and put into the oven to bake for 20 - 30 minutes.

7. 把烘好的蛋糕留在烤盤內待稍涼後才取出繼續放在網架上放至完全涼透，灑上糖粉後便可以隨意放上草莓、樹莓、藍莓、黑莓等作裝飾。可以隨意佐以鮮奶油 (Crème fraîche or double cream) 同吃。

7. Leave the cake in the tin to cool and then cool on a wire rack. When the cake is completely cooled down you can dust it with icing sugar, then arrange strawberries, raspberries, blue berries and blackberries on top. Serve on its own or with a dollop of Crème fraîche or double cream.

補充 :

根據 Molly 的食譜，爐溫是 190C 和烤 25 分鐘。但我覺得用我自己的烤爐，以 170C 和烤 20 分鐘已足夠和不會那麼容易讓蛋糕旁烤焦。請根據你烤爐的表現作決定。
蛋糕烤好後上面首先會升起和有很多大小的裂痕，都是正常的。放涼後蛋糕會降下和裂痕變小。

Tips :

According to Molly's recipe, the oven needs to be pre-heated to 190C and bake the cake for 25 minutes. I found that with my own oven, I only need to set it to 170C and only need to bake the cake for 20 minutes, this way the side of the cake is less likely to be too well cooked. Please adjust the temperature and the cooking time according to the performance of your oven.
When the cake first comes out of the oven, it's risen quite high and with cracks on top, this is normal. After it's been cooled down, the surface will settle back down and the cracks will appear to be smaller.