Gluten free (and guilt free) chocolate cake

Gluten free (and guilt free) chocolate cake

I’ve been cooking gluten free (GF) for my mother-in-law for over 10 years now. At the beginning it was such a challenge and I had to hunt high and low for special GF baking mixes. Luckily, it’s much easier now that more and more people are interested in the GF lifestyle.

I’ve started using a lot of GF products myself this year, as I was recently diagnosed with a gluten sensitivity. So when I received this recipe from the folks at Green & Blacks chocolate, it peaked my interest. Unfortunately, I can’t have sugar, honey or milk products. Even so, I’d love to make this as a special treat for the other Mrs. Nichols.

Annie Bell’s Guilt-Free Chocolate Cake

Makes one 1 x 8in cake

Cake ingredients:

• 4 extra-large free-range eggs, separated
• ¾ cup golden superfine sugar
• 3 tablespoons good-quality cocoa powder, sifted
• 1 ½ cups ground almonds
• 1 teaspoon baking powder, sifted
• Butter, for greasing

Filling ingredients:

• 18 oz (about 4 ½ cups) tubs of ricotta, drained
• 3 tablespoons honey
• ¼ cup coarsely grated Green & Black’s grated dark (70 or 85% cocoa solids) chocolate

Directions:

1. Preheat the over to 400°F and butter an 8in cake pan with sides 3 ½in deep and a removable bottom.
2. Stiffly whisk the egg whites in a medium bowl – a hand-held electric beater is ideal. Which together the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Fold the egg whites into the egg mixture in thirds, then fold in the cocoa, the ground almonds, and baking powder.
3. Transfer the cake mixture to the prepared pan, smooth the surface, and bake it for 35 minutes until the sponge has begun to shrink from the sides and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Run a knife around the edge of the cake and leave it to cool in the pan.
4. For the filling, place the ricotta and honey in a food processor and blend until smooth (if you do this by hand, it will remain grainy). Remove the collar from the cake, but you can leave it on the bottom for ease of serving. Slit the cake in half, taking into account the height in the center of the cake. Reserving a couple of tablespoons of the ricotta cream, spread the rest over the bottom and sandwich the top half. Spread the reserved cream in a thin layer over the surface of the cake and scatter over the grated chocolate, which should conceal all but the very edge of the cream. Set aside in a cool place.
5. If keeping the cake longer than a few hours, cover, chill, and bring it back up to room temperature for 30 t 60 minutes before serving.

For more information about Green & Black’s chocolate or to view additional recipes, please visit their website at www.GreenandBlacks.com.

Anne-Marie Nichols