Alright, I’m going to out myself now because you’re going to find out sooner or later.I don’t really love to bake!
I have a theory about this, most people I know who love baking don’t really like cooking and vice versa. I think it’s because both require very different personality traits. Bakers tend to be more methodical and meticulous where cooks tend to be a little more free spirited (don’t like following directions) we prefer to quickly survey a recipe and then kind of wing it or put our own twist on it. If we do this in baking the results can be disastrous!
Most of the baking I do is quite simple and leaves room for a little creative license. Not to mention most are inherently nice to look at and require minimal decoration…not really fond of the finicky icing bag! I had a bad experience with my oldest daughters’ first birthday cake, let’s just say I ended up using some faux finishing tools on it instead and we’ll just leave it at that. Surprisingly it looked beautiful when it was done…but nothing like I had intended! I’ve never used an icing bag since.
Although I say I’m not fond of baking I actually bake a lot. It’s so much healthier than most of the store bought baking and considerably less expensive. So I do it…but I do it my way. My way is as healthy as I possibly can. I think part of the reason I don’t love to bake is because I’m so disgusted with all the unnecessary fat and sugar that goes into most of it. For me it's kind of like meeting someone you’ve always idolized and they don’t meet your expectations. You'll never be able to see them the same way again. So many times I’ve eaten something I’ve loved and when I get the recipe for it I’m shocked at what it’s made of. A perfect example of this is when I tried these fantastic brownies at my friends house, when I asked for the recipe I almost had a heart attack when I saw all the cream cheese, butter and chocolate that went into them (I’m talking excessive)…I felt like going in to have my stomach pumped! I could feel my arteries clogging with every heartbeat.
Now I know what you’re thinking; they are supposed to be a treat. I agree but if we can make it taste as good without all the crap why not? I couldn’t in good conscience feed people I love all of that unnecessarily fatty stuff. If it’s impossible to make a specific dessert without it then maybe I can make my peace with it... if it’s only eaten once in a while. But if I’m able to make it healthier, why not? In this and future blog entries you’ll find several dessert ideas, some are baked goods and some are not. All are delicious and include as many nutritional ingredients as possible (they are by no means diet!).
Hey, now maybe instead of having dessert only once in a while we can eat it every few days! Now if that’s not a good enough reason to make it yourself I don’t know what is.
I've had so many requests for this cake lately I figured I better make it my next post. This cake is absolutely decadent! It's wheat free and dairy free (if you use vegan chocolate) and inherently nice to look at...no fussy decorating required. Now that's my kind of cake.
Double Chocolate Coconut Cloud Cake
2/3c butter (softened)
3/4c brown sugar
1/4 coco powder
6 eggs (separated)
pinch of salt
1tbsp vanilla
For the meringue:
4 eggs (whites only)
1/4tsp cream of tartar
1c icing sugar
1c coconut (I like ribbon coconut)
6 squares of good quality dark chocolate (chopped)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Butter a 9 by 3 inch spring form pan and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy looking. Beat in the coco powder and mix until it's well incorporated. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the melted chocolate and the vanilla; beat until well combined. Set aside.
In a clean mixing bowl, toss in the 6 egg whites and the pinch of salt. Beat on high for about 2 minutes when soft peaks begin to form. Now stir in about 1/3 of the chocolate mixture, once incorporated, gently fold in the remaining egg whites. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 25 minutes.
While the cake is in the oven make the meringue topping. Toss the remaining 4 egg whites and the cream of tartar into a clean mixing bowl. Whisk on high for about 2 minutes until soft peaks form. Now little by little add the icing sugar and continue to whisk until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the coconut and chopped chocolate.
Remove the cake from the oven...it should be slightly firm, it's okay if it's a little wobbly in the middle. With a spatula, artfully spread the meringue topping on top of the cake. Return to the oven and bake for another 25 to 30 minutes until the meringue is lightly browned and crisp. Let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.
*Tip- Meringues are notorious for falling...especially if you have kids jumping around. If that happens to you, as it has to me, don't panic- Simply let the cake cool completely, whip up some whipping cream, fold in some toasted coconut and place in the middle of the cake. Voila a perfect beautiful cake...no one will ever know LOL!
*Variation- If you'd also like your meringue to be chocolate, simply add 1/4 coco powder to the icing sugar. Sift to be sure there are no lumps and continue on with the recipe.
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