This cake takes a bit of time but is well worth the effort. As it is quite rich, I prefer to use miniature molds to keep each serving quite small. This dessert is based on a recipe from the chef school we attended.
Serve as part of a menu with:
– Starter: Summer Salad with Basil Walnut Dressing
– Main Course: Caribbean Chicken with Avocado Rice and Red Pepper Vinaigrette
Chocolate Crème Anglaise:
1 vanilla bean (pod)
250 ml whole milk
3 egg yolks
50 g sugar
275 g dark chocolate, chopped
The cake:
2 egg whites
200 g ground almonds
6 tbsp icing sugar
30 g butter
4 eggs
15 g gluten free flour (rice flour works very well)
1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
¼ lemon, grated peel
4 tbsp rum
Chantilly:
200 ml cream
20 g icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Decoration:
Strawberries
Chocolate shavings
Chocolate Crème Anglaise:
- Slice the vanilla pod lengthwise. Scrape out the interior.
- In a saucepan, bring the milk and vanilla to a boil.
- Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until pale and thick.
- Pour the hot milk onto the eggs and sugar taking care to stir continuously so the eggs don’t set.
- Return the mixture to the pan and stir with a wooden spoon over low heat until mixture begins to thicken and coats the back of a spoon. DO NOT BOIL.
- Pour the Crème Angailse over the chopped chocolate and gently mix until the chocolate has melted.
- Cool the chocolate and refridgerate for about an hour until thick enough to place in a piping bag fitted with a round tip.
The Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 180 C.
- Butter small molds.
- Melt the butter in a saucepan. Set aside.
- Mix the ground almonds, icing sugar and egg whites together in a thick paste.
- Beat the eggs into the almond mix, one at the time. Whisk for about 5 minutes, the mix should be pale and thick.
- Fold in the sifted flour, cocoa and baking powder, add the melted butter.
- Pour into the prepared molds, let the batter come to two-thirds up the side.
- Bake until done. A knife blade comes out clean when inserted. About 12-15 minutes depending on size of molds.
- From a spoon, let a few drops of the Rum drop on the cakes.
- Turn out of molds and place on rack to cool.
Vanilla Chantilly:
- Whisk the cream and icing sugar together with the vanilla until it holds in soft peaks.
Assembly:
- Place a chocolate cake on each plate.
- Pipe elongated balls of the chocolate cream all around the top.
- Cut strawberries in a decorative shape and place on top.
- With two spoons, form a chantilly cream quenelle on one side of the plate and sprinkle some chocolate shavings on top.