This flourless cake provides just the right amount of sweetness to finish a holiday party and is lovely paired with a cup of coffee or dessert wine.

Flourless Pecan Cake

Adapted from Emiko Davies, via Food52.com
Servings: 8 People

Ingredients

  • 4 large eggs room temperature, separated
  • 1 cup light brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 12 ounces raw pecan halves or pieces
  • 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray or butter. Line bottom with a round of parchment and grease the parchment.
  • Add egg whites to bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk, starting at low and increasing speed to medium high until stiff peaks form.
  • While the whites are whisking, add the egg yolks, brown sugar, salt, and lemon zest to a large mixing bowl and stir until very smooth.
  • Pulse the pecans in a food processor until a sandy meal forms, but not so long that they turn into pecan butter. Stir the ground pecans into the egg yolk mixture until thoroughly combined.
  • Gently fold peaked egg whites into pecan mixture, taking care not to deflate them. Pour mixture into the prepared cake pan.
  • Bake for 35–40 minutes, until the top is browned and firm to touch and the center no longer wobbles.
  • Cool completely on a wire rack before removing from the pan. Wrap gently in foil and refrigerate for 8 hours or more before slicing and serving. Remove cake from the refrigerator an hour before serving and sprinkle it with confectioners’ sugar.