This week I am sharing with a sweet recipe for Valentine’s Day, which happens to be gluten free too. The recipe is for these delicate looking “flourless chocolate and espresso cakes”, which you can dress with seasonal fruits. This recipe is quick and easy to make – and looks scrumptious.
Ingredients
- 50g salted butter, diced, plus extra to grease
- 50g dark chocolate, finely chopped
- 1 heaped tbsp espresso powder
- 50g ground almonds
- 1 medium free-range egg
- 50g caster sugar
- Icing sugar to dust (optional)
- Crème fraîche to serve (optional)
- Raspberries to serve (optional)
Method
Step 1: Grease the springform tins and line with baking paper. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate together over a very low heat. Once completely melted, stir in the espresso powder. Take off the heat and add the ground almonds.
Step 2: Separate the egg. In a spotlessly clean bowl, whisk the white and, as it begins to froth, add half the caster sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking all the while, until you have a glossy and stiff white mass, like meringue. In a second bowl, whisk the yolk together with the remaining sugar until it has doubled in volume and turned a pale, creamy shade of yellow. Gently fold the white into the yolk, then fold in the melted chocolate mixture.
Step 3: Heat the oven to 140°C fan/gas 3. Divide the cake batter equally between the prepared tins and bake for 20-25 minutes. The cakes should be dry on top and feel firm to the touch. To test if they’re done, insert a toothpick or knife to the= middle; it won’t come out completely clean, but the cake should be crumby rather than liquid.
Step 4: Leave to cool for at least 10 minutes in the tin and serve either warm or at room temperature, dusted with icing sugar and/or with crème fraîche or raspberries, as you like.
*Recipe and photo credit: https://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes/flourless-chocolate-and-espresso-cakes/