Easiest Gluten-Free, Milk-Free Chocolate Cake for the soul
The other day I had a craving for a good chocolate cake. I didn't have many ingredients in my kitchen, but I had the basics: chocolate, flour, butter, eggs, milk. Instead of looking for a recipe online, I decided to be old-school and find something in one of the many cookbooks I own. I gotta say: I am GUILTY of buying cookbooks and never even opening them. This time, I opened a cookbook I bought like 3 years ago: The Family Meal by Chef Ferran Adrià. I love this book because it has step-by-step photos of everything! Highly recommend it.
I quickly found a recipe for a chocolate cake (yay!) and to my surprise, this recipe was gluten-free, (almost) dairy-free, and with very little added sugar. The ingredients: eggs, chocolate, sugar, and butter. I was like “huh?” not even FLOUR? And then I remember: this is how people USED TO EAT. Without labels, complicated ingredients or chemicals, yet simple and delicious.
I made the cake and it was amazing. It satisfied my sweet tooth (and the possible need for magnesium) and making a cake from scratch for us non-bakers felt a really good accomplishment. I couldn’t keep this to myself, so here’s the recipe for this easy, “minimalist” chocolate cake:
Photo by my friend anapaularvbz
Things you’ll need for this recipe:
Flexible silicone molds, about 4 1/2 inches diameter and 1 1/2 inches deep.
An electric mixer or a balloon whisk
Bowls
Ingredients (serves 6):
Dark chocolate, 60% cacao 6 1/8 oz
Butter at room temperature 6 1/2 tbsp
Egg whites 4 1/2 oz
Sugar 2tbsp
Egg yolks 1/2 oz
Preparation:
Chop the chocolate into small pieces.
Melt the chocolate: Fill a saucepan halfway with water and place over low heat, then set a metal or glass bowl over the pan so that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Put the chocolate into the bowl
Let the chocolate melt slowly, stirring occasionally with a spatula until smooth. remove the pan from the heat.
Cut the butter into cubes and add to the hot chocolate.
Let the butter melt into the chocolate, stirring with the spatula.
PREHEAT THE OVEN TO 400F
Put the egg whites into a large bowl, then add the sugar. Use a balloon whisk or an electric mixer to whip the whites and sugar to make a soft meringue.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks for a few seconds.
Pour the yolks over the meringue mixture, then fold them together using a spatula or whisk.
Add the meringue mixture to the melted buttery chocolate.
Fold everything together carefully with a spatula until even.
Using a pastry bag or two teaspoons, pour the mixture into the silicone molds.
Bake in the oven for 12 minutes, or until risen and shrinking away from the edges of the molds.
Let them cool a little before removing them from the molds.
Serve the cakes warm and enjoy (best enjoyed with vanilla ice cream!)
Photo by my friend anapaularvbz
And there you have it, friend! fool-proof chocolate cake that also happens to be healthy for you! This cake is high in magnesium, healthy fats, and protein PLUS it’s low on carbohydrates if that’s important to you.
If you make this recipe, please make sure to let me know over at @mariucabral!
Happy cooking!