This weeks offering is a dense gluten free cake, with a minimal amount of butter in it. It is a recipe I’ve had for what seems an eternity, and as it features very early on in my recipe folder, was probably one of the first cakes that I learnt how to make, whilst dabbling in the pastry section.
For this recipe you will need a food processor, don’t be tempted into thinking that buying ready ground nuts is going to be a beneficial shortcut, it isn’t. You want the various random bits of the pulsed nuts & chocolate to add interesting textures to the sponge.
Mallorcan chocolate cake
- 100g Walnuts, toasted
- 100g Ground almonds
- 200g Hazelnuts, toasted
- 200g Dark chocolate drops (callets)
- 4 Large eggs, seperated
- Pinch of Salt
- 1 Orange, zested
- 160g Caster sugar
- 20g Butter, unsalted
Pre-heat oven to 175ºc & line a baking tin with greaseproof paper.
Place the nuts & chocolate in the food processor & pulse until it looks something like the picture below:
Mallorcan chocolate cake – Pulsed nuts & chocolate
In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. When very pale, slowly & gradually add the egg yolks. Continue to beat.
Gradually add the chocolate & nuts mix to the egg yolks in three or four separate stages.
In a different bowl whisk the egg whites with the pinch of salt, until they reach soft peaks.
Take one third of the whisked egg whites and beat them into the yolk / butter / sugar mix.
Carefully fold in the remaining egg white, then gently transfer to the baking dish/tin.
Mallorcan chocolate cake – batter ready for baking
Cook for 45minutes @ 175ºc. To check for doneness, insert a cocktail stick in the middle and then remove. If it comes out clean, the cake is done.
Remove from the oven and cool on a cooling rack.
Mallorcan chocolate cake – The finished article