Flourless Chocolate Cakes and Recioto della Valpolicella

Because Recioto della Valpolicella is sweet, heady, rich, and slightly tannic, dark chocolate is the perfect pairing. Remember when pairing sweet wines with desserts, the wine always has to be the sweeter of the two, otherwise, the food will feel bitter and flat. When paired with chocolate, there’s a harmony of flavors and textures thanks to the combination of fats with the tannin, the equal weight of both the wine and cake, in addition to the balance of sweetness. To us, this is one of the great pairings of the world.

The Wine: Bertani Recioto della Valpolicella Valpentena

Recioto della Valpolicella is a sweet red wine that comes from the Veneto region of Italy just outside of Verona. It is made using partially dried grapes, consisting of a blend of predominantly Corvina and Corvinone as the base. This style of Valpolicella is regarded as the “OG” precursor to Amarone, dating back to what could be as far as Roman times when the grapes were heated with hot stones to encourage drying before fermentation. The name Recioto, likely derives from the word for ears orecchie, because traditionally only the best parts of the bunches, called the ears or shoulders, were used to produce this wine. Today, fermentations are stopped before all the sugars have been consumed by the yeasts, thus the alcohol levels are fairly low (14-15%) with a residual sugar of of generally more than 70 g/L (but these wines don’t often feel cloying).

Bertani is a classic producer who is regarded as a historic producer of the region. and one of the originators of the Amarone style back in the early 1950”s. Their signature style of wine often shows restraint and a certain freshness, something that the wines of this region do not always showcase.

The Cake

During my pastry years, I tried many recipes in search of the perfectly silky, fudgy yet light flourless chocolate cake. I found a recipe in the book Chocolate Cake, by Michele Urvater (pg. 233), called "Ann Rothschild’s Cake," with the right ingredients and ratios, but the method was too elaborate and more toward creating a souffle-like cake than a fudge-like cake. So I adjusted the method and made changes to get the flavor and texture I wanted, and at once I had my all-time favorite flourless chocolate cake.

I use the batter for these little cakes to achieve a mixture between a cake and a truffle. A textural surprise of a firm brownie shell that slowly melts with each bite.
I bake them in mini muffin tins that I coat with butter and sugar prior to scooping the batter, in a 425 F oven for 8-10 minutes. The batter will rise like a souffle and look giggly in the center until about minute 7 and when it doesn’t look shiny-raw then is done, at about minute 8-9. One more minute and they are overcooked, so stay vigilant. 

When I’m in a hurry I bake the batter in an 8-inch spring cake pan at 400F for 15-18 minutes, and top it with a thin layer of ganache and some stewed cherries for a dramatic presentation, especially around the holidays, set on a white cake stand and dusted with powder sugar.

Flourless Chocolate Mini Cakes

12 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped 6 oz butter, diced
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
5 eggs, at room temperature

5.5 oz granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon cognac (optional)

Melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a double boiler
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and vanilla
Mix the sugar and cocoa powder and whisk the mixture into the eggs
Whisk in the melted chocolate mixture into the eggs until it thickens
Chill overnight before baking
Heat oven to 425 convection bake
Butter mini muffin pans and coat them with sugar
Scoop the chocolate mixture using a 3/4 oz ice cream scoop, or two spoons
Bake in the middle rack for 8-10 minutes - making sure to turn the pans around halfway through
The final time depends on your oven, so keep an eye when the timer hits 8 minutes

** The cakes are done when fully risen, look cooked on the sides and soft in the center. Let cool for 2 minutes and carefully run a thin spatula or butter knife around the edges of each cake, lifting lightly as you go around. Flip the pans onto a cooling rack 

Stewed Cherries
1 cup frozen black cherries 2 tablespoons of sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 cinnamon stick

Cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes