Posted September 18, 2014
By Natural Vitality Living
The Raspberry & Honey Chocolate Torte recipe in Irena Macri's Eat Drink Paleo Cookbook looked so good we had to give it a try. We weren't sure if replacing wheat flour with almond meal would make this cake too dense, but we can happily report (after wiping a few crumbs off our mouths), that it was pretty darn fluffy. We attribute this to the whipped egg whites and gentle folding in of ingredients that we did.
This cake is a wonderful option for a healthier version of what is traditionally considered a “guilty pleasure.” Some sweet tooths might find it lacks the sweet intensity that refined sugar provides; we found this to be a plus, as you don't enter into a sweet coma after indulging.
Follow Macri's instructions below to a tee and your efforts will be paid off with a delicious cake worthy of any celebration.
For a review of her Eat Drink Paleo Cookbook, click here.
Paleo Raspberry & Honey Chocolate Torte
Serves 10
As it is full of antioxidants — found in raw cacao and fresh raspberries — and the healthy saturated fat of coconut oil, you won't feel guilty eating this rich and decadent chocolate cake. It does have a fair amount of almond meal, which is on the higher end of omega-6 fatty acid content, as well as honey; so leave it for special occasions.
Ingredients
1/2 cup raw cacao powder (you can use baking cocoa powder too)
3/4 cup raw honey
3/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
30 ml (1 fl. oz.) port or dry sherry
1/2 cup water
4 eggs (yolks and whites separated)
2 cups almond meal
1/2 cup raspberries (defrosted or fresh)
1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
Pinch of sea salt
Fresh raspberries & desiccated coconut to garnish
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 338 degrees F.
2. Brush a round 9-inch cake tin with melted coconut oil to lightly grease, and line the base and sides with nonstick baking paper.
3. Combine cacao powder, honey, coconut oil, port and water in a bowl and whisk together until incorporated.
4. In a different bowl, whisk the egg yolks for a few minutes until thick and glossy. Fold in the chocolate mixture and almond meal and raspberries. Sift or sprinkle the baking powder over the mixture, rather than dropping it in one spot, to ensure uniformity.
5. Use an electric beater to whisk egg whites, with a little pinch of salt, in a clean dry bowl until soft peaks form. Use a spoon to fold some of the egg whites into chocolate mixture until combined.
6. Gently fold in remaining egg whites until just combined.
7. Pour mixture into the prepared cake tin. Bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Set aside in the pan to cool completely. Once cool, remove the cake onto a serving plate and garnish with fresh raspberries and desiccated coconut. Serve with a side of coconut cream or regular double cream.
Notes
You can replace raw cacao powder with melted dark chocolate and use green leaf stevia or coconut syrup instead of honey; just adjust the amount based on the concentration of the sweetener.
By Irena Macri, from Eat Drink Paleo Cookbook.
© 2014 Natural Vitality Living