Chocolate Truffle Cake

This week, Will was off for Winter Break. Add to the week that I needed a break and had another appointment with the audiologist, and it seemed like a great time to call for help. Saturday, Allen and I took the kids and met my parents for the swap. The kiddos went to Gramma and Granddad's for a few days, while we came home for a bit of quiet. Allen and I went to the grocery store on the way home, then came home to a home {and I NEVER thought I'd say this} that was TOO quiet. We enjoyed a couple days "off" from our regular routine. I slept in each day (but only by about 15 minutes), I did my Bible study while I drank my morning coffee (instead of cramming it all into Sunday afternoon and Monday evening), and we had a few meals out.

One of the places we went had an AWESOME dessert, so I came home to search the internet for a recipe. The next  day, I picked up the ingredients to try it, and I made a few adjustments so I wouldn't get a tummy ache. I started with a recipe and tweaked it just a tad. The result was just as amazing as the one at the restaurant. It is now my favorite cake! {Note: I did make only 1/3 of the recipe and used a souffle dish instead of my springform pan -- the recipe divided quite well and gave us several days of rich chocolatey yumminess.}

Flourless Chocolate Truffle Cake

For the Cake:

• 1 cup water
• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 stick unsalted butter (I used salted since that's all I had -- still delish!)
• 18 oz bittersweet chocolate
• 6 eggs

For the Ganache:

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream (Dairy foods don't like me, so I used coconut milk instead)
• 8 oz bittersweet chocolate

Cake

1. Preheat oven to 300° convection, 350° conventional.  Place shelf in middle of oven.
   
2. Butter a 10" springform pan, then line the bottom and sides with parchment paper (it will stick on thanks to the butter).  Wrap pan in several layers of aluminum foil to keep out the water from the water bath in which the cake will be baked.
3. Fill a tea kettle and bring water to a boil.  If it boils before you're ready to stick your cake in the oven, just set the kettle aside.  The water will stay hot enough.  Locate a roasting pan that is wide and deep enough to accommodate your springform pan.
4. Combine the 1 cup water and 3/4 cup sugar in a small pan and bring to a boil over medium.  Reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes, stirring until sugar dissolves.  This is really just a simple syrup with a little less sugar than the typical 1:1 ratio of water to sugar.  Remove from heat.
5. Melt chocolate and butter in the microwave in one-minute increments, stirring well after each minute and watching to avoid the chocolate burning.  We use chocolate discs which do not require any chopping before melting.  If you are starting with a block or bar, chop up before trying to melt in the micro.
6. Add simple syrup to chocolate mixture, whisk well, then allow to cool enough to add eggs.  Whisk in eggs and combine well.  Pour batter into springform pan.
7. Place cake pan in center of roasting pan, place in oven, then add enough hot water to the roasting pan to come up to the middle of the cake  pan.
8. Bake until cake is set in the center, about 40 minutes in our oven.  Remove from water bath and cool completely on a rack.

Ganache

1. Melt chocolate and cream together in the microwave in a glass dish.  Whisk until smooth, then pour over cooled cake (still in the springform) and distribute evenly.  
2. Refrigerate immediately, or once ganache is set. Allow ganache to set completely before removing from springform pan and cutting into cake.