Tag Archives: Cake

He Can Enjoy His Flourless Chocolate Cake and I Can Eat it Too!

Posted on June 10, 2012 by | 8 Comments

This past week we enjoyed celebrating SensitiveHusband’s birthday. We had a wonderful time going out to dinner with family, taking a day off from work, giving gifts, and making a special birthday cake. My husband enjoys cakes that ooze with gooey, fudgy, chocolatey goodness – and I decided that creating a flourless chocolate cake would meet all of his favorite criteria (plus, I would really like it too). I started with a recipe that was originally developed by Gourment Magazine in November 1997 and revised by the Baking Bites blog last year. I liked this recipe because it only required six ingredients that already resided in my pantry and a double boiler was not needed. It looked like it would be relatively simple to remove the cane sugar. In fact, this cake was relatively easy to create. Top with fresh whipped cream and fruit, or just eat plain. It is delicious cold, at room temperature, and warmed, and it also freezes well. SensitiveHusband noted, “it was rich, delicious and decadent – it was a wonderful birthday cake.” Goal accomplished – he had his birthday cake and I enjoyed it too!

Ingredients:
4-oz dark chocolate, coarsely chopped (Endangered Species has a brand that is gluten and cane sugar free)
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup agave nectar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup cocoa powder

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 375F. Line an 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper and lightly grease.

In a small saucepan, melt together chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally until very smooth.
Pour warm chocolate mixture into a medium mixing bowl with agave nectar. Whisk to combine. Beat in eggs one at a time, waiting until each has been fully incorporated to add the next, then mix in vanilla extract. Add cocoa powder into the bowl and whisk until well-combined.

Pour into prepared cake pan. Bake for 25 minutes.

Allow cake to cool in pan for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the cake and invert onto a serving platter. Dust with cocoa powder, if desired. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 8-10.

I am sharing this recipe with Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Miz Helen’s Country Cottage, Food Trip Friday, Cybele Pascal Allergen Free Cuisine, Simple Living with Diane Balch and Sweet as Sugar Cookies.

Thank you, Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, for featuring my recipe!

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One-Bowl Chocolate Agave Cake with Agave Whipped Cream

Posted on January 30, 2012 by | 6 Comments

Have you ever just been in the mood for a piece of cake? And you look around the kitchen in search for a delectable dessert only to come up empty-handed? This happened to me a few weeks ago, but fortunately it was the weekend and I had a spare hour. So I searched the internet and found a recipe for a one-bowl chocolate cake. The name sounded promising, for fewer bowls used would equal fewer bowls to clean up later on. The recipe also showed promise because the ingredients were all things that I normally have in my cupboards. I halved the recipe to just make one round pan instead of a more complicated layer cake, swapped the flour for the whole wheat version, and used agave instead of sugar. While the cake baked I searched the internet for a frosting. Whipped cream sounded good to me, especially because it only required three ingredients.
It turns out that I did have a cake in my kitchen. All of the ingredients were there, it just took a little bit of creativity and some mixing to make the cake a reality. Within an hour SensitiveHusband and I were able to enjoy this great dessert.

One Bowl Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
2/3 cup agave nectar
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup boiling water

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour one nine-inch round pan.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the agave nectar, egg, milk, oil and vanilla. Mix for 2 minutes on medium speed of mixer. Stir in the boiling water last. Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Whipped Cream Topping
Ingredients:
1 cup heavy cream
1/8 cup agave nectar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation:
Whip cream until almost stiff. Add agave and vanilla; beat until cream holds peaks. Spread over top of cooled chocolate cake or another dessert. Top the whipped cream with grain-sweetened chocolate chips if desired.

I am sharing this recipe with Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, Miz Helen’s Country Cottage, Food Trip Friday, Cybele Pascal Allergen-Free Cuisine and Sweet as Sugar Cookies.

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Chocolate Banana Cake

Posted on April 7, 2011 by | 7 Comments

I first tried this recipe on New Year’s Eve because I wanted to enjoy a restaurant-quality dessert. This cake exceeded our expectations as we rang in the new year! I took out all of the cane sugar; the modified cake is sweetened with honey and the frosting has grain sweetened chocolate chips. When you have a spare afternoon, try this recipe and enjoy the results, along with impressing everyone who shares it with you!

Chocolate Banana Cake:

1 1/3 cups honey
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium sized bananas)
1 cup warm water
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Ganache Frosting:

8 ounces grain-sweetened chocolate chips
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Chocolate Banana Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven. Butter, or spray with a non stick vegetable spray, a 9 x 13 inch (23 x 33 cm) pan. Set aside. 

In a large bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk together honey, eggs, mashed bananas, water, milk, oil, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir, or whisk, until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. When completely cooled, frost with the Ganache.

Ganache: Place the chocolate chips in a medium sized heatproof bowl. Set aside. Heat the cream and butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. When Ganache has completely cooled, beat until soft and fluffy. Then spread the frosting on top of the cake.

Sources: Joy of Baking and Rodmell, Jane. Best Summer Weekends Cookbook. Cottage Life Books. Toronto: 2004.

I am also sharing this recipe with Something Swanky, Joy of Desserts, Sweet as Sugar Cookies and Cybele Pascal Allergen-Free Cuisine.

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