Flourless Orange Chocolate Cake

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Blood Orange, Cardamom, and Grand Marnier
Recipe adapted from Epicurious 

Well it has definitely been awhile since I've posted anything up here.  I've still been baking plenty!  I just have been to eager to eat and share my desserts before I have a chance to photograph them!  I'm going to try and update this a little more often, I promise!  And even get some recipes up for some of the things I baked in the past (champagne cake with raspberry ganache & swiss buttercream anyone?!).

To kick off 2017 I made this delicious flourless chocolate cake. The flourless chocolate cupcakes at SusieCakes are my absolute favorite and I have been wanting to make a flourless cake for a long time.  However, if you know me you know I couldn't just stop at a chocolate cake.  I found a recipe on Epicurious and decided to jazz it up a bit by adding some blood orange zest & cardamom.  And then of COURSE it had to be a little tipsy and Grand Marnier was the best way to up the orange flavor and add a bit of booze.  i had so much fun making this cake and it was super easy.  This might be my new go-to for events with family & friends!  Hope you enjoy!  Cheers!

p.s. I didn't try this, but I have a feeling adding a dollop of fresh whipped cream with a splash of more Grand Marnier would make this amazing.  Or some creamy vanilla bean ice cream...  so many possibilities! 

[ Ingredients ]
4 ounces good chocolate (I used Guittard)
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)
Zest of one blood orange
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier 
3/4 granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

[ Directions ]

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Butter an 8" cake pan, line with parchment paper, and butter the paper.  Sprinkle a little cooca powder inside the pan and turn it so make sure the pan is coated.  Tap out any excess cocoa powder.
3. In a medium bowl set over a pot of simmering water (or a double broiler), melt the chocolate and butter.
4. Once the chocolate and butter are melted, remove from heat and stir in the blood orange zest, cardamom, and Grand Marnier.
5. Whisk in the granulated sugar.
6. Add eggs and whisk well.
7. Sift in the cocoa powder and whisk until just combined.
8. Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake for 25 minutes.  Cake is done when the cake has a thin crust on top.
9. Cool in pan for 5 minutes and then invert and cool completely on a wire rack.
10. To serve, sift extra cocoa powder over the top and decorate with blood orange slices.