Flourless Chocolate Cake With Coconut Cream and Strawberries

I got so many messages regarding this cake after posting a photo of it on Instagram, I’m so happy you all like the idea of gooey chocolate base topped with dairy-free coconut cream and sweet strawberries. I was afraid the recipe will get lost and I will end in labour before posting it here. My due date is on Monday 14th and I’m still heavily pregnant craving this cake again :D So if you decide to bake it after seeing this recipe please send me a piece or two, I will be forever grateful :D

Dairy free. Gluten free.

INGREDIENTS (small 20cm cake tin – feel free to use bigger tin, but just make sure not to overbake the base since it will be thinner than this one)

Chocolate ‘sponge’

4 eggs (separated)
80g brown sugar
160g dark chocolate (60-70%)
60g almond flour
150g coconut butter
1tsp baking powder
A good pinch of salt

-> Pre-heat your oven to 170°C. Grease a 20cm round loose bottom cake tin. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water, or use your microwave to temper chocolate. Mix with coconut butter, a pinch of salt and then allow to cool a little.

Whisk the egg whites in a large bowl until stiff. In another bowl using an electric whisk, beat egg yolks and sugar together until thick and pale.

Whisk the ground almonds, melted chocolate, baking powder and slowly fold in the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin.

Bake for about 30 minutes, check if done with a toothpick.  When done leave the cake to cool in the tin for at least 10 minutes. Then turn it out onto a clean tea towel on a wire rack or directly on a cake stand. Leave to cool completely on a room temperature and then top it with coconut cream. For best results I prefer serving this cake at room temperature, fresh on a day I baked it because it’s the best then, so soft, literally melts in your mouth. It will still be great during the coming days of course, but the chocolate base will thicken up in the fridge overnight so don’t be surprised :)

Whipped Coconut Cream

160g x 2 full fat coconut cream – this is the brand I used and it worked great for the first time, of course, you can use bigger cans, trust me you can’t have too much coconut cream :D
1tbsp icing sugar
1tsp vanilla paste

+
handful shaved coconut flakes for serving (optional)

-> Chill your coconut cream in the fridge overnight (I couldn’t wait this time so I placed coconut cream to the freezer for 2h and it worked perfectly), being sure not to shake or tip the can to encourage separation of the cream and liquid.
Chill a large mixing bowl too, for about 10 minutes before whipping.
Remove the coconut cream from the fridge without tipping or shaking and remove the lid. Scrape out the top, thickened cream and leave the liquid behind.
Note: if your coconut milk didn’t harden, you probably just got a can without the right fat content or the cream didn’t separate properly.
Place hardened cream in your chilled mixing bowl. Beat for 30 seconds with a mixer until creamy. Then add vanilla (optional) and icing sugar and mix until creamy and smooth – about 1 minute. Keep it in the fridge before topping the cake with it.

Strawberries

200g strawberries – sliced
1/2tbsp icing sugar
1tsp vanilla paste

-> coat the strawberries well with sugar and vanilla, feel free to use maple syrup instead as your sweetener, and leave them in the fridge for at least an hour before serving them with the cake. Before serving simply add coconut flakes and strawberries on top of whipped coconut cream and serve :)

Please let me know if something is missing. I apologise in advance. it’s not me it’s my pregnancy brain :D

Anja xx