For the last week I have been hunched over my computer for 12 hours a day. I have barely seen the sun, eaten a decent meal or bathed much if the truth be told. And what have I been doing? Editing pictures of food? Writing tantalizing blog entries? On-line shoe shopping? NO! I have been doing bloody bookkeeping! That yearly dreaded tax preparation.
My shoulders are permanently scrunched somewhere around my ears. My fingers are cramped, my eyes blurry and honestly my hair could do with a good washing. But most of all I need – no - I deserve a treat! And the only thing that will banish all those numbers swimming in my head is chocolate. Rich, dark, dense, gluten-free chocolate cake. With whipped cream. And just to make sure those figures get gone for good, a nice kick of heat from some ancho chili powder.
What I need is Gluten-free Mexican Chocolate Cake with Cinnamon Whipped Cream.
My shoulders are permanently scrunched somewhere around my ears. My fingers are cramped, my eyes blurry and honestly my hair could do with a good washing. But most of all I need – no - I deserve a treat! And the only thing that will banish all those numbers swimming in my head is chocolate. Rich, dark, dense, gluten-free chocolate cake. With whipped cream. And just to make sure those figures get gone for good, a nice kick of heat from some ancho chili powder.
What I need is Gluten-free Mexican Chocolate Cake with Cinnamon Whipped Cream.
Just thinking about it is inching my shoulders back to their normal position. My eyes are clearing and the world looks just a bit brighter!
By the way, with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, this makes a really sexy dessert for that special night with the one you love. (It is also pretty decent consolation if there is no one you love in your life right now!)
Gluten-free Mexican Chocolate Cake
2 sticks unsalted butter – cut into pieces plus more for preparing the pan
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 ½ cups)
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder (I like dark)
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
1 tablespoon dried instant espresso (or coffee) crystals
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Cinnamon Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Cut a piece of parchment or waxed paper in a circle to fit bottom of pan, put it in pan and butter that.
Melt butter and chocolate chips together in a microwave (about 2 minutes) or on top of a double boiler. Mix together the sugar, cocoa powder, instant espresso or coffee, salt, ancho chili powder and cinnamon. Add to chocolate mixture, add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes or so then finish cooling on a rack (or not, I often just let it cool in the pan).
For the whipped cream, whip cream, sugar and cinnamon together until thick and stiff but not dry.
Serve whipped cream atop slices of cake.
By the way, with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, this makes a really sexy dessert for that special night with the one you love. (It is also pretty decent consolation if there is no one you love in your life right now!)
Gluten-free Mexican Chocolate Cake
2 sticks unsalted butter – cut into pieces plus more for preparing the pan
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips (1 ½ cups)
1 ¼ cups sugar
1 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa powder (I like dark)
6 large eggs
1 teaspoon gluten-free vanilla extract
1 tablespoon dried instant espresso (or coffee) crystals
Pinch salt
2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
½ teaspoon cinnamon
Cinnamon Whipped Cream
1 cup heavy whipping cream
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan. Cut a piece of parchment or waxed paper in a circle to fit bottom of pan, put it in pan and butter that.
Melt butter and chocolate chips together in a microwave (about 2 minutes) or on top of a double boiler. Mix together the sugar, cocoa powder, instant espresso or coffee, salt, ancho chili powder and cinnamon. Add to chocolate mixture, add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 45 minutes. Let cool in pan for about 10 minutes or so then finish cooling on a rack (or not, I often just let it cool in the pan).
For the whipped cream, whip cream, sugar and cinnamon together until thick and stiff but not dry.
Serve whipped cream atop slices of cake.
Makes 8 - 10 servings depending on size of cake slices (the cake cake is pretty rich).
For an extra flourish you can mix together a pinch of ancho chili powder, a pinch of cinnamon and about 1 – 2 tablespoons of sugar and sprinkle some on the top of each serving.
To make it REALLY decedent, garnish with piece or two of Mexican Chocolate Bark.
Ahhh, I’m going to have another slice and then I think I’ll wash my hair!
For an extra flourish you can mix together a pinch of ancho chili powder, a pinch of cinnamon and about 1 – 2 tablespoons of sugar and sprinkle some on the top of each serving.
To make it REALLY decedent, garnish with piece or two of Mexican Chocolate Bark.
Ahhh, I’m going to have another slice and then I think I’ll wash my hair!
DEATH BY CHOCOLATE
Culinate is hosting a "Death by Chocolate" contest. It's pretty cool, 1 blogger and 1 reader will win trips to Napa for wine and chocolate tasting. Wine and chocolate! What could be better than that?
So go vote and see if you can win the trip!
3 comments:
Hey Carol... looks divine!!
BTW: you have been tagged! :)
You can see the post on my site.
that looks superb Carol!! who'd guess that's gluten-free??!!:) I made a molten cupcake for the same event:)
I'm not on a gluten-free diet, but I'm loving your recipes because gluten entails the use of regular flour which is nutritionally useless anyways. Not to say that this chocolate cake is nutritious, but it sure looks delicious!
The whipped cream by itself is an awesome idea, I'll have to keep it in mind.
- The Peanut Butter Boy
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