Chocolate Decadence

Original recipe and photo by Williams-Sonoma Kitchen Library
Recipes translated into paleo by Françoise Everett

Last week I served flourless chocolate cake with raspberry sauce and whipped cream at the launch of our Wealth & Wisdom Networking event, and it was a huge success! So much so that I had many requests for the recipes.

Over the last 10 years, I have taken my favorite chocolate recipes and translated them to be paleo (gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar-free with healthy, delicious alternatives) so that I could still enjoy my favorite desserts, and be super healthy at the same time. 
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If you ever feel torn between eating super healthy and eating what you love, this is a perfect dessert recipe for you.

Flourless Chocolate Decadence
1 lb. (500g) of good quality, semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup coconut oil
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar
1 tablespoon tapioca flour

Position a rack in the middle of an oven and preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C). Butter an 8- or 9-inch (20- or 23-cm) layer cake pan or springform pan. Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper or waxed paper cut to fit precisely. Butter the paper and dust with flour; tap out any excess.

Place the chocolate and coconut oil in a large heatproof bowl or the top pan of a double boiler. Set over a pan of gently simmering water but not touching the water. Stir occasionally until melted and combine completely. (Do not overheat as chocolate can coagulate if too hot when mixing with other ingredients.) Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Place the eggs and coconut palm sugar in a bowl. Using an electric mixer set on high speed, beat until light, fluffy and tripled in volume, 5-10 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and beat in the flour. Using a rubber spatula fold one-third of the egg mixture into the chocolate to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg mixture, taking care not to deflate the batter. Pour and scrape into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake for exactly 15 minutes. Let cool completely to room temperature. Do not refrigerate or the cake will stick to the pan. Invert onto a flat serving plate and peel off the paper. Cut into small wedges and serve each wedge atop the raspberry sauce. Top with whipped cream.

Serves 10-12

Raspberry Sauce
2 1/2 cups (10oz/315g) fresh raspberries or thawed, frozen unsweetened raspberries
1-2 tablespoon(s) coconut palm sugar 
1/4 cup (2 fl oz/60ml) framboise or other raspberry-flavored liqueur, optional

Place the raspberries, sugar and liqueur, if desired, in a blender or in a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Purée until smooth. If needles sauce is desired, pass the purée through a sieve.

Makes about 3 cups (24 fl oz/750ml)

Coconut Whipped Cream
2 cans of full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk
Honey
Vanilla extract

Place both cans of coconut milk in refrigerator, preferably overnight, after having them settle on the kitchen counter without having shaken them for at least a few hours (I like to let them sit overnight to settle as well). Once chilled overnight or for at least a few hours, open the can. The fat of the coconut milk will be at the top. The water will be underneath. With a tablespoon, remove all the cream of both cans and place in a whipping bowl. With a mixer, begin to soften the cream, add honey and vanilla to taste. Whip until well mixed and serve. Refrigerate the leftover portion for a couple of days.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

Enjoy and let me know how it turns out!