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Fallen Chocolate Cake

Not all cakes are created equal or considered beautiful, by modern-day standards. The fallen chocolate cake is the most well-known of all the “ugly” cakes. Despite that, I still find it remarkably intoxicating. The cake’s cracks are inviting and its uneven top is a curiosity. What lurks beneath that delicate sugary top layer is a question I want to know the answer to. And even as one who typically prefers vanilla cake, I’m lured in by it all.

fallen chocolate cake

Richard Sax

Fallen chocolate cakes have been a trendy thing for a long time and have shown no sign of slowing down. This lovely version is from the late Richard Sax. Sax, for those unfamiliar, was a celebrated food writer, cookbook author, and champion of home cooking. It is “classic home desserts“, like this one, that Sax is most famous for. And I can attest, that this cake is worthy of its fame, a delicate, cloud-like masterpiece that is incredibly satisfying.

A cake described as, “stunningly beautiful and ridiculously tasty”, which is the perfect description for this flour-less favorite. Never tasted a flourless cake before, think super chocolatey cake with the most amazing fudge-like center. This cake falls and crackles in the loveliest way, creating a tender and light texture underneath that’s truly irresistible.

fallen chocolate cake

Light as a Feather

The special handling of the eggs, in this type of cake, creates a soft, silky, and ethereally light texture but with substantial chocolate decadence. In this type of cake, eggs, (or a combination of egg whites and whole eggs or yolks) get blended together incorporating very little air.

As a result, the cake doesn’t rise much when baked and then falls once removed from the oven due to the absence of flour. This is often referred to as a “molten” (or “fallen”) chocolate cake, a cake made famous by master chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

fallen chocolate cake

If you want to make this cake even better, there is only one thing to do, add fresh whipped cream. The cream offsets the richness of the cake in the most perfect way possible. This cake is a fantastic option for gluten-free individuals and a dessert I love to make for the Jewish holiday of Passover.

fallen chocolate cake

About the Author

Andrea Potischman

I am a professionally trained NYC chef turned CA mom and food blogger. I post about real food, with doable ingredient lists that are family friendly.

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