Gluten-Free

Chocolate Almond

Tea Cake

Typically I don't go for gluten-free or anything with substitutions. I am fortunate enough to not have any allergies and find it hard to steer away from what I know.  In terms of food science, I know what ingredients work and can have faith in the end result.  Gluten especially, its one of the key components in the structure and stability of your product.  If it is missing you need to find a way to replace it or it will all fall apart. This tea cake uses the protein from eggs, by whipping up a meringue, for stability.  

In pastry school we did a flourless chocolate cake that was very similar to this and I had fallen in love then. I had high hopes and no worries, bon appetit did not disappoint.  This cake held up well and was fudgy like a brownie. Sullivan and I took it over to our friends, Monica and Paolo's, house to share and they raved about it. Paolo even went in for a second, much larger, piece!

Here is the recipe with the ingredients I used 

(not all the same as bon appetit)

1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder

3/4 c unsalted almonds plus 2 T for sprinkling on top

1/4 peanuts

7 oz. bittersweet chocolate 72% cocoa, chopped

1/2 c coconut oil, melted

1 t salt

1/2 c coconut sugar plus 1/4 c for meringue

4 large eggs, separated

1 T raw sugar for sprinkling on top

1. Preheat oven to 325, lightly coat 8 inch springform pan with cocoanut oil
2. Pulse cocoa powder and nuts in a food-processor until finally ground, about a minute
3. Melt chocolate and let cool to room temp, then mix with cocoa mixture, oil, egg yolks, salt and 1/2c sugar, set aside
4. With electric mixer, whip egg whites until foamy, sprinkle in 1/4 c sugar and then mix on high until glossy stiff peaks form
5. In two additions, fold into cocoa badder 
6. Fill your pan and then top with chopped pecans and raw sugar
7. Bake for 40-50 minutes

So good! The substitutions I made were just because of lack of ingredients!  I didn't have enough almonds so peanuts worked just fine. I love peanut butter so I thought,"What the hey!". The original oil was olive oil and I was afraid the flavor would come though too strongly so I opted for coconut oil instead.  You can try either or.

Thanks for reading today! I hope you give this recipe a go and  enjoy it as much as we did.  

xoxo

Morgan & Sullivan

  

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