Flourless Chocolate Cake with Blood Orange Sauce

Blood oranges are like the Holy Grail at the grocery store. They are so hard to find, that we tend to gorge ourselves on them when we do. And I hit the mother load this year, so I wanted to make something really fantastic with them. I love the combination of chocolate and orange together, and flourless chocolate cake is so easy and decadent, this seemed like the perfect combination.

I went a little sparingly with the sauce for presentation purposes, but you can load it on if you like, the cake can take the extra sauce ! And it's gluten free, for those who are allergic, or cautious.

Please take note of our little pug, Seamus, in the corner of the picture. Of course, he can't have chocolate cake, but he was very interested in the photographic experience...

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Blood Orange Sauce

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
5 eggs, separated
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt

Preheat oven to 275. Generously butter a 9 inch spring form pan. In a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water, combine the chocolate and butter. Heat and stir regularly until melted. While chocolate is melting, combine egg yolks and all but 3 tablespoons of the sugar in a large bowl and whisk to combine. When chocolate is completely melted, gradually add chocolate mixture into the eggs, whisking constantly until thoroughly combined.

With an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks start to form. Then gradually add the sugar until stiffer peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan, and smooth over the top. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until cracks begin to form on the top.

For the Blood Orange Sauce

6 blood oranges
1/3 cup sugar
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier

Juice the blood oranges, and place the juice and sugar in a small sauce pan. Simmer over low heat until the mixture has reduced to a thick syrup, then stir in the Grand Marnier.

To plate, decorate the plate with the syrup, place cake on top, and drizzle the top of the cake with the syrup.