(Paleo) Flourless Chocolate Cake
OK guys, I think I just found my new fave sweetener: raw coconut palm sugar.
We all know that white sugar is empty calories with no nutritional value whatsoever; meaning it doesn't have vitamins and/or nutrients, just calories.
So what about replacing it with a nutrient-rich, low-glycemic crystalline sweetener that looks, tastes, and melts almost exactly like sugar, but it’s completely natural and unrefined?
Yep, that’s raw coconut palm sugar.
Raw coconut palm sugar is acquired from the flowers growing on coconut trees. The nectar of the flowers is collected and air-dried to form a crystalline sugar, dark brown in color.
It’s rich in potassium, zinc, iron and B vitamins. There’s quite a lot to it!
Raw coconut palm sugar is never refined or bleached like white sugar, that’s why all the nutrients of the flower are still there.
However, most of the “palm sugar” commonly sold in Asian markets is not raw coconut palm sugar but it’s often blended with other fillers such as white cane sugar.
I found pure raw coconut palm sugar at Whole Foods; I also looked for it at Trader Joe’s but one of the clerks told me that they didn’t carried it yet. Another option is to buy it online, some of the brands I like are Madhava and Nutiva, but I guess others are just as good.
The thing I like most about raw coconut palm sugar is that it’s not too sweet, but gives a great flavor.
On top of that it passes the paleo test (hurray!) and it’s low glycemic index makes it also a suitable option for people with diabetes. Win, win, win.
Now, let’s talk about flourless chocolate cake.
Being an hardcore chocolate lover, I love flourless chocolate cakes.
When you take flour out of the equation, you get a much denser and richer result with an intense chocolate flavor.
It has nothing to do with the gluten-free diet (well, that’s more like a bonus), flourless chocolate cake is pure chocolate flavor awesomeness.
I adapted this recipe from Martha Stewart’s latest cookbook “Martha Stewart's Cakes: Our First-Ever Book of Bundts, Loaves, Layers, Coffee Cakes, and more”. I subbed the sugar for raw coconut palm sugar, dialed down the espresso powder and used high quality +70% - paleo approved - dark chocolate (Dagoba, to be precise).
What came out of the oven was a very light, not too sweet, intense chocolatey, 100% paleo friendly cake.
If you love chocolate, you need this cake in your life.
(Paleo) Flourless Chocolate Cake Print this recipe!
Adapted from Martha Stewart's Cakes: Our First-Ever Book of Bundts, Loaves, Layers, Coffee Cakes, and more
As mentioned above, this cake has an intense chocolate flavor and it’s not too sweet, which (to me) is the best part. But if you like your cakes sweeter add ¼ cup more of raw coconut palm sugar.
Ingredients
Serves 10
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (or coconut oil), plus more for the cake pan
6 oz / 170 gr +70% dark chocolate, chopped
6 large free-range organic eggs, separated
1 cup / 4.5 oz / 120 gr raw coconut palm sugar, divided
2 tablespoons instant-espresso powder
pinch of fine grain sea salt
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C), place a rack in the middle.
Invert the bottom of 9-inch springform pan and line with a parchment round and butter parchment.
Place butter (or coconut oil) and chopped chocolate in a medium sized heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water (making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water). Stir until the chocolate has completely melted. Remove the bowl from over the boiling water, let mixture sit for a few minutes.
In a medium bowl beat together egg yolks and ½ cup of raw coconut palm sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until thick and the sugar has completely dissolved. Add espresso powder and salt; beat until combined, about 1 minute. Add vanilla and melted-chocolate mixture; beat 1 more minute.
In another large bowl, beat egg whites and a pich of salt on medium-high speed until foamy.
Increase speed to high and gradually add remaining ½ cup cup raw coconut palm sugar, beating until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. The raw coconut palm sugar will dissolve into the egg whites giving them a fantastic brownish/caramel macchiato color.
Gently fold egg whites into chocolate mixture in 3 batches.
Transfer batter to the prepared pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until set.
Let cake cool completely in pan on a wire rack.
Remove side of pan; transfer cake to a serving plate.
I strongly recommend serving glaze alongside cake (using this recipe for paleo chocolate glaze) or topped with a dollop of whipped cream or Greek yogurt.
Nutrition facts
One serving yields 221 calories, 13.9 grams of fat, 18.7 of carbs and 5.2 grams of protein.
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