Dark Chocolate Espresso Cake
(It really looks that good when it's done I swear)We varied the recipe a little bit, but for you coffee-loving-cocoa-craving cavemen out there this one's a goodie.
We'd like to thank cindalouskitchenblues.blogspot.com for this recipe.
1 12 oz bag Sunspire unsweetened dark chocolate chips (or your favorite dark chocolate bar)
1/4 c. hot fresh espresso
1 T. fresh espresso grinds (optional, but man its good)
1 T. organic vanilla
1 T. cinnamon
4 heaping T of unsweetened baking cocoa powder
1/4 c. (powdered) Stevia
1 T.organic brown sugar
1/4 c. unsweetened pineapple juice
6 free range organic eggs, room temperature
2 sticks Earth Balance Vegan light butter, room temperature (I know that's a lot, but it makes the consistency for a flourless cake. See the bottom for a butterless variation
**We omitted the vegan butter with real butter, we removed the stevia and brown sugar and added 1 T honey, we removed the espresso grounds (too much)
If you want to stay strict to the Paleo you can omit the butter, it changes the consistancy, it's more like fudge than cake.
I used the Vita-Mix for the whole grinding and mixing process. You can use a food processor or your blender if you prefer. The Vitamix made the preparation very fast and easy.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and coat a glass baking pan or springform pan with butter or oil. Add honey, cinnamon, and chocolate chips to the Vitamix. Grind the chips and dry ingredients up for about 10-15 seconds.
Add the pineapple juice and hot espresso. Blend for ~5 seconds until creamy. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla, eggs, and vegan butter. You may wish to scrape off the sides with a spatula before you start blending again to make sure no dry powder is stuck. If you're not using the Vitamix, beware. The Vitamix has a very large container ( ~8 c.) which makes it perfect for batters like this, smoothies, and soups. However, your blender or food processor may not be this large so be careful not to overflow it. Replace the lid and mix on variable medium-high for about 30 to 45 seconds until smooth. Again, you may need to use the spatula (or the Vitamix damper) to scrape the sides as you go.
Pour the batter into the greased springform or dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes (for 1 cake pan). You will need to shorten the time for 2 pans - I estimate about 30 minutes or so. Bake until the middle is set and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside to completely cool. Once cooled, cover and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours or longer so it is nice and firm, thick, and deliciously. We didn't wait for the chilling process, we eat it warm. MMMM!!!
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