A couple of years ago I tried my hand at running a small organic chocolate business. I made bars and hot choc powders using different flavours, and Dean was my main recipe-tester. My sister, knowing how much he loves it, baked a delicious cake for him using one of my last batches of chocolate chilli powder. This cake has become her specialty which I borrow every so often. I love its richness and creaminess - and the chilli adds a lovely kick.
Unfortunately, in a mega competitive chocolate world, I was a small fish in a big pond and I decided to shelve the business for good. Despite that, the appetite in the family for good chocolate - in whatever form - remains strong.
The birthday boy was happy indeed. According to him, this cake is always the best.
The ingredients. |
The baked cake. |
Moist and gooey. |
Enjoy! |
This is a very rich grown-up cake. You can enjoy it as a dessert, as well as with a delicious cup of tea in the afternoon.
Ingredients
100g organic dark chocolate with 70% cocoa solids
100g organic chocolate powder
200g organic butter
a pinch of cayenne pepper powder
a small pinch of cinnamon powder
4 eggs
200g coconut sugar
3 tbsp ground almonds
1 tbsp rye flour
2 tbsp Ginja (Portuguese liquor, but you can use cachaça or rum instead).
Salt flakes
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 23cm round cake tin with baking parchment.
Place a metal or glass bowl over a pot of simmering water. Add the chocolate, butter, chilli, cinnamon and let them melt. Be careful not to let the chocolate burn. Once melted, stir the mix and remove from the stove. Leave it to cool.
When the mixture cools down, stir in the eggs one by one. Add the dry ingredients in the following order: ground almonds, coconut sugar, rye flour, and a pinch of salt. Mix well with a hand whisker and add the liquor.
Pour the cake batter into the tin, sprinkle salt flakes on top. Bake in the oven for 20 - 30 minutes. (You’re not looking for a sponge-like texture. This is more moist and gooey in the centre.)
Leave to cool and serve.
A healthy note: Dark chocolate/cocoa (Theobroma cacao) contains the highest source of magnesium – for the ladies who suffer from those nasty mood swings in their pre-menstrual cycle, the good news is that adding magnesium to the diet can increase pre-menstrual hormone levels (progesterone) and alleviate the symptoms. Dark chocolate also contains calcium, iron and potassium. Vitamins A, C, D and E. More about chocolate read my post here
Chilli contains capsaicin, a compound well known in scientific research as a pain reliever and digestive aid, which also has cardiovascular benefits. Capsaicin has the ability to lower blood temperature (it may induce perspiration in cases of fever). It stimulates the metabolic rate, burning fat. It contains very good levels of vitamin A and C. Chilli is a great source of iron and potassium.
Till next week!
No comments
Post a Comment