When my big sister (Joye) was about seventeen, she used to buy ‘Australian Gourmet Traveller’ magazines and make us all sorts of delicious recipes. (Yes, a love of cooking runs in the family!) One of her favourite recipes was a flourless chocolate fudge cake. We loved that cake. I used to watch her make it, whipping up the egg whites, folding them into the rich chocolate batter, carefully placing it in the oven where it would rise, form a crispy crust, then the crust would crack and slightly crumble to reveal a dark, fudgy interior. She’d dust it with cocoa and we’d savour each bite. For some reason I never thought to ask her for the recipe until a couple of months ago when she came for a visit. Unfortunately, the recipe was long gone. But when she went home she sent me a few versions that are similar. One of them had a buttery, chocolate concoction on top that sounded amazing – but of course it had lots of sugar and dairy in the recipe. So I decided to come up with my own version, and after many trials and errors (which were happily eaten by my family and friends), here it is, the long-awaited… [drum roll…] Double Whammy Chocolate Cake recipe!
This is a very rich, decadent cake that has two layers – a flourless chocolate cake for the base, and a chocolate mousse-ish layer on top. A delicious ‘double whammy’ of chocolate. The method for each layer is very similar (and the ingredients are mostly the same) – but the base is baked, and the top is partially cooked then set with gelatine. Because of all the eggs (eight altogether!), dark chocolate and Rapadura or coconut sugar, it’s not something you’d make every day – but it’s perfect for special occasions. It’s similar to a chocolate cheesecake, except it’s gluten free, grain free and nut free, and can be made dairy free by using coconut oil instead of butter, and dairy-free dark chocolate. (I’m currently re-testing the dairy-free version – stay tuned for updates on that!)
I love flourless cakes made with ground almonds or hazelnuts, but if you can’t have nuts and are trying to avoid gluten, grains or dairy as well, eating cake becomes a very rare pastime! Which I think is very sad. If you are one of those people, I hope this recipe makes you very happy. (And I’m pretty sure that even if you can have gluten, dairy and nuts, this cake will still make you very happy!) 😀
Food Safety Tips:
The mousse layer contains raw and lightly cooked eggs, so take extra care when storing and serving this cake.
Keep the cake frozen until needed. Thaw it in the fridge at 5°C or below, never at room temperature. Once thawed, keep refrigerated and consume within 1 day.
Only thaw the amount you plan to eat that day. Keep the remaining cake frozen. Return the remaining cake to the freezer as soon as possible after slicing.
Avoid leaving the cake at room temperature for more than 2 hours in total.
For best quality, store the cake well sealed in the freezer and use within 2 months.
Thermomix Tip:
It’s very handy to have two Thermomix bowls when making this recipe! You can use one bowl for the egg whites, one for the chocolate mixture, and it’s a lot quicker and easier. But if you only have one bowl, that’s okay – this cake is worth the extra work of cleaning the bowl between mixtures!
Double Whammy Chocolate Cake (Chocolate Mousse Cake)
Description
A double layer, chocolate mousse cake that contains no flour and no nuts!
Ingredients
- 300g Rapadura or coconut sugar
- 240g dark (70-80%) chocolate buttons, or chocolate bar broken into pieces
- 240g butter (plus extra for greasing tin)
- 2 Tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder or cacao powder
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 8 eggs
- 3/4 tsp gelatine powder
- 1/4 cup room temp water
Instructions
Cake Layer:
- Preheat oven to 150C. Line a 20-21cm springform cake tin with baking paper on the base, grease the sides with butter, then line sides with strips of baking paper. (This makes it easier to get the cake out of the tin neatly.) Set aside.
- Mill Rapadura or coconut sugar in a Thermomix 30 sec/speed 9 (or blend in a blender on high speed). Remove to a small bowl and set aside.
- Place chocolate into Thermomix and mill 10 sec/speed 8 (or mill in blender). Remove to a separate bowl and set aside.
- Place 120g of the ground chocolate and 120g of the butter into the Thermomix bowl and cook 3 mins/50 degrees/speed 3. (Or simmer over low heat in a saucepan until melted.)
- Add 100g of the milled sugar, 1 Tbsp cocoa and 1/8th tsp salt to the chocolate mixture. Mix in the Thermomix 2 mins/ speed 5. (Or remove choc mixture from saucepan to the bowl of a stand mixer, add sugar, cocoa and salt and mix for 2 mins on medium speed.)
- Separate 4 eggs, and gradually add the yolks to the bowl while mixing for another 3 mins/speed 5. (If using stand mixer, add egg yolks slowly while mixing on medium speed.)
- Scrape the chocolate mixture into a mixing bowl, set it aside. Clean and dry the Thermomix bowl and blades (or mixer bowl and attachments) thoroughly.
- Insert the butterfly into the dry, clean bowl, add 4 egg whites and mix 4 mins/speed 4, until stiff. (If using mixer, beat egg whites with whisk attachment until stiff peaks form.)
- Fold egg whites gently into the chocolate mixture in the mixing bowl using a silicon spatula or wooden spoon, until just combined.
- Pour batter into the lined cake tin and bake for 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
- Turn off the oven and set the cake aside to cool on a rack. The cake will sink a little as it cools.
Mousse Layer:
- Sprinkle the gelatine over the water in a cup and set aside to bloom.
- Place the remaining 120g ground chocolate and 120g butter into the Thermomix bowl and cook 3 mins/50 degrees/speed 3. (Or simmer over low heat in a saucepan until melted.)
- Add the remaining 100g of the milled sugar, 1 Tbsp cocoa and 1/8th tsp salt to the chocolate mixture. Mix in the Thermomix 2 mins/ speed 5. (Or remove choc mixture from saucepan to the bowl of a stand mixer, add sugar, cocoa and salt and mix for 2 mins on medium speed.)
- Separate the remaining 4 eggs, and gradually add the yolks to the bowl while mixing for another 3 mins/speed 5. (If using stand mixer, add egg yolks slowly while mixing on medium speed.)
- Add gelatine and water to the chocolate mixture and mix on 10 sec/speed 4 (or mix with stand mixer until combined). Remove to a mixing bowl and clean and dry the Thermomix bowl and blades (or mixer bowl and attachments) thoroughly.
- Insert the butterfly into the dry, clean bowl, add 4 egg whites and mix 4 mins/speed 4, until stiff. (If using mixer, beat egg whites with whisk attachment until stiff peaks form.)
- Fold egg whites gently into the chocolate mixture in the mixing bowl using a silicon spatula or wooden spoon, until just combined.
- Pour the mousse onto the cooled cake in the springform tin. Cover well and place carefully into the freezer for a few hours to set, until firm. The cake can stay in the freezer, well-sealed, until needed.
- When ready to serve, partially thaw the cake in the fridge (see food safety tips below), then remove it from the tin. Slice into individual portions using a sharp knife (heat the knife first for especially clean edges, if desired). Return any portions you’re not serving that day to the freezer, wrapping them individually in baking paper if desired. Transfer the portions you’re serving to the fridge and allow them to thaw until the mousse is soft and creamy.
FOOD SAFETY TIPS:
-
The mousse layer contains raw and lightly cooked eggs, so take extra care when storing and serving this cake.
-
Keep the cake frozen until needed. Thaw it in the fridge at 5°C or below, never at room temperature. Once thawed, keep refrigerated and consume within 1 day.
-
Only thaw the amount you plan to eat that day. Keep the remaining cake frozen. Return the remaining cake to the freezer as soon as possible after slicing.
-
Avoid leaving the cake at room temperature for more than 2 hours in total.
-
For best quality, store the cake well sealed in the freezer and use within 2 months.
Notes
Storage:
Store well sealed in the freezer for up to 2 months. Once thawed, keep refrigerated at 5°C or below and consume within 1 day.
Hi Jo
Is there another substitute for agar agar? If not where do you think I might be able to buy this?
Also can I use coconut sugar instead of rapadura and if so how much?
Yes use gelatine instead of agar, and coconut sugar is fine!