Hello again to the EMM family -- this is Amber from Whole Foods for Whole Families, and I'd like to thank Krista for letting me do another guest post.
If you saw my post on Baked Apples, you may remember my family: my youngest daughter became really sick and conventional medicine gave us a diagnosis (chronic benign neutropenia of childhood) just shrugged its shoulders. So our research led us to a drastic diet change: gluten-free and dairy-free. Then my husband and I went grain-free (also called Paleo) about 8 months ago. We feel so much better, we haven't looked back!
For today's recipe, I'll be honest: I struggled. I couldn't decide on what to make that was gluten-free and dairy-free yet would also appeal to the masses.
Then I figured everyone loves dessert, so I started there.
This recipe for Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake is wonderful for a few reasons.
First, it's chocolate. Lots of chocolate. And it’s baked together into a fudgy kind of goodness that makes just about anybody happy.
Secondly, it's best when made a day ahead of time. That may not sound like much of a great thing, but when you're planning a busy holiday dinner, getting a dish done a day or two ahead of time can be a real time-saver.
And last, it's a normal recipe that can be found outside of the gluten-free world, and that makes me feel just a tiny bit normal.
So make this Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake because you can put it together a day ahead of time. Or make it because your Aunt Sally is lactose intolerant. Or make it because a holiday guest is trying out a gluten-free diet, and you want to impress them with a dessert even they can enjoy. Or make it because it's chocolate. And it’s good.
Flourless Dark Chocolate Cake
4 oz unsweetened bakers chocolate
7 oz dark chocolate (60-70% cacao)
¾ cup palm shortening* or ghee**
¼ cup honey
7 eggs
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Generously grease a 9-inch round cake pan. Fill a medium saucepan or a teakettle with water and bring to a boil while preparing cake.
Place a large, heat-safe mixing bowl over a large saucepan filled with about 1 inch of water. Bring water to a light simmer. Break chocolate into smaller chunks and place into mixing bowl. Add shortening and honey, stir to melt chocolate and shortening slowly.
While chocolate is melting, beat eggs with a mixer on medium speed until they are doubled in size, about 4-5 minutes.
When chocolate and shortening are completely melted, take the bowl off the heat. Gently fold in half of the eggs into the chocolate until fully incorporated. Repeat with remaining eggs until no streaks remain.
Pour cake batter into prepared pan. Place the cake pan inside a large roasting pan so it lays flat. Carefully pour boiling water inside the roasting pan (not on top of the cake!) until the water reaches half way up the sides of the cake pan.
Place in the oven and bake for about 15-18 minutes. The cake is done when the sides are set but the middle still looks wet. Do not over bake, the middle will set up as it cools. Remove cake pan from water and allow to cool on a wire rack. Cover in plastic wrap, place in refrigerator overnight (or up to 4 days).
To remove from pan: pour a small amount of very hot water into the roasting pan. Place cake pan into water for about 10-15 seconds and remove. Set a serving plate upside down on top of the cake pan, then quickly flip them over together. The cake will pop right out!
Dust with cocoa powder or powdered sugar before serving.
*Palm shortening is similar to shortening like Crisco, except it has no preservatives and no soybean oil (soy can inadvertently affect hormonal levels among other things). Palm shortening is also lower in polyunsaturated fats which are highly susceptible to rancidity and oxidation, both which are harmful to our bodies.
**Ghee is also called clarified butter. The butter is heated, the milk solids (casein and lactose) separate and are removed from the fat. Just the fat remains and that’s called ghee.
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