The low-carb Chocolate Cake
Whether you are diabetic, on a low-carb lifestyle or simply hankering after a slab of scrumptuous chocolate cake, this is it: the fantastic, genuine, ever-so-moreish Chocolate Cake recipe by Mona Farrugia
2. There is honey in this recipe, which is, of course a hundred percent carbohydrate. It makes the mix very glossy and smooth but if you want to be strict, just substitute for another tablespoon of Tagatesse.
This cake is as close to a sachertorte as you will get: heavy, gooey, simply, stupendously chocolatey. I use a very high cocoa-content chocolate in it – from 85% to a 100%, the kind which you simply cannot eat raw because it tastes like burnt cardboard, but which becomes fabulous when mixed with cream and almonds and loads of really nice stuff like that.
The cake is very good to eat, but in comparison to commercial chocolate cakes and traditional American ones, rather on the dry side (flour keeps water in – both in a cake, and in your stomach) so serving it with cream is, I find, quite essential if you want people to swoon.
You need:
•   a 20cm tin, loose bottomed, oiled and lined in oven paper. Or else, see note above
•   Preheat the oven to 190C/gas 5
150g very dark chocolate (from 85 to 100% cocoa), broken up
150g unsalted butter
6 tablespoons Tagatesse ®
1 tablespoon honey
4 eggs, separated
200 grams pure ground almonds
75 ml fresh cream
Almond flakes to decorate the top – about 50 grams are enough.
How:
Start by whisking the egg whites in a machine. I use my Kenwood. When their volume has become huge and their texture stiff, I switch it off.
While the egg whites are whisking, put the chocolate, butter, Tagatesse and honey in a pan over a very low heat and stir until everything has melted and incorporated.
Then take them out of the pan and pour them into a large bowl. Leave them to cool a little.Â
When they have, pour in the egg yolks and beat gently with a balloon whisk. Then add the cream and the almonds until you have a semi-runny paste.Â
Start your machine again on a very low speed and add the chocolate mix into the egg whites spoon by spoon while whisking.
The resultant mix should be glossy and airy and a very rich dark brown.
Pour into the prepared tin or liner, flick the almond flakes onto the top of the mix and bake for 30 minutes.Â
Serve in thin wedges on a little sea of single or fresh cream.Â
Should you like, you can also make a nice cup of espresso (I make mine with my Lavazza machine and ‘Blue’ pods from P. Cutajar Ltd.) and pour it into the cake while it’s still hot. In this case, the low-carb ice-cream on the side would be fabulous.
© Mona Farrugia 2008
2. You can use the usual method of oiling and lining the tin before pouring in the mixture but it’s so much easier to buy tin paper liners which are ready to pour into and use. I buy mine from Lakeland in the UK, who also do mail-order via their website, but beware: their postage rates are horrendous.I have also - but rarely - found the paper cases from Tal-Lira shops.
Comments
Hi Mona!
When you refer to Tagatesse to be used for baking, what form would it be in? Liquid/powder?
Secondly, any idea where I can get my hands on some Valrhona locally, and please dont send me to Airport!
Hi Charlotte
Exchange the Tagatesse (it changed formulation and I stopped using it) for 1 cup of Agave syrup. I think it will work much better and contribute to the moisture within the cake.
Buy Valhrona and other brilliant chocolate here: http://www.planetmona.com/food-on-planetmona/71-shopping/3329-mona-farrugias-christmas-shopping-guide-chocolate
You use to have a cookie recipe, blueberries and oats? Really healthy?
I don't understand!
What chocolate do u use for this and where do u buy it from please? Trying to get all ingredients together...
For this particular one, I used whatever dark chocolate I had in the chocolate cupboard (yes I have one of those!). I think it was a mix of Valhrona and ICAM dark chocolate.
