The pure chocolate of this shallow rich cake goes a long way. It will be pleas-
ing to anyone, and the cake is simple to mix and bake. Dress it up with a
dusting of cocoa powder. In summer, you can decorate the platter, around
the circumference of the cake, with black-eyed Susans. Tracey often makes
this cake for her son’s birthday and serves coconut sorbet alongside.
8 ounces dairy-free bittersweet chocolate, preferably organic, fi nely
chopped
1 cup ghee (clarifi ed butter), solid coconut oil, or vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch- pro cess
2 teaspoons GF vanilla fl avoring
1. Place a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
Lightly oil a 9- by 2-inch springform pan, line with parchment paper, and oil
the paper.
2. Combine the chocolate and ghee in a stainless-steel medium bowl and
place on top of a saucepan with 1 inch of simmering water. Whisk occasion-
ally until melted and smooth, and then remove from the heat. Add the sugar
and whisk until incorporated. Crack the eggs into a separate bowl and add to
the chocolate mixture one at a time, quickly whisking after each addition.
Add the cocoa and vanilla and stir with the whisk until smooth.
3. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 50 to
60 minutes, until the top has a thin crust and moist crumbs appear when a
cake tester is inserted into the center of the cake. Let cool completely in the
pan on a rack and then remove the side of the pan, invert the cake onto a plat-
ter, and peel off the paper. Garnish as desired.
Cooks’ Notes
✤ Ghee is butter that has been clarified, thus all of the milk solids have been
removed. Look for jars marked casein-free in the ethnic section of the
supermarket, at Indian markets, and health food stores. Refrigerate any
leftover opened ghee.
✤ Adding the eggs quickly helps cool the chocolate mixture. However, it is
preferable to add them one at a time for easier blending.
Tags:
dessert