Well, not really. In truth, I started a part time job in order to bring in some gluten-free green dough. My greenery contributions will hopefully allow me to continue to pursue my currently-non-money-making-ventures-with-future-potential-for-money-making. This part time job seemed to take over my life for the first few weeks even though I felt fantastic to be doing it. Between those newly committed hours and self-imposed household things, I managed to find no place for writing (in the house or in my head) and while I did find time for some experimental baking, I was too irritated by it to write about it. I felt cramped and crimped and stifled. All that remained of my creative juices was dried pulp.
For whatever reason, it seemed silly and frivolous to want to write about my baking or anything else. I was a big wanna be. And I wasn't even sure what I wanted to be: a writer? a baker? a writing baker?
You may note the past tense in these statements about the frame of mind that accompanied my foray back into the working world. While I'm still not sure what I want to be, I've re-adopted the mindset that this... ambiguity, shall we call it, is an interesting state of being and in fact leaves open many more options than if I pigeonholed myself by wanting to be something specific, for Pete's sake.
Now that I've verbally de-toxed on the proverbial couch, onward to more important things! Like chocolate cake!
This loaf cake is rich yet not saccharin, dense but light, chocolate-y but also full of texture. It lasts 3 days in our house if we ration strictly. Two if we ration less strictly. A WHOLE 9X5 LOAF! I've carefully researched and scrutinized our devouring patterns with this cake, and these numbers are factual and in no way exaggerated. Needless to say, I have not tried freezing it because it's gone so fast, but I think it would freeze just fine wrapped in plastic wrap and sealed in a plastic bag. Let me know how it goes if you do freeze it.
One note before I unveil the recipe: the butter quantity might seem annoying because it is one whole stick plus one tablespoon of an additional stick. I tried with just 8, and the results are not as balanced, so that one tablespoon makes a difference. Since the butter is melted, however, you could try subbing a tablespoon of oil (nut or coconut oil might be divine) rather than lopping off a mere tablespoon of a second fresh stick of butter.
Chocolate Chocolate Tea Cake
(Grain Free & Gluten Free)
Ingredients
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup arrowroot starch (You can use cornstarch interchangeably with arrowroot. We don't use it in our house, but the cake will still be gluten free if you do.)
1/4 cup dark cocoa powder
1 teaspoon xanthan gum (You can sub guar gum if that's what you have. Or try without.)
Scant 3/4 cup sugar (agave should work as well - just use an even more scant 3/4 cup)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup FULL FAT Greek yogurt (regular yogurt, buttermilk or Kefir will also work)
3 large eggs OR 2 x-large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
9 tablespoons melted butter - Melt the butter before you start mixing the flours so it has a few minutes to cool down.
1/2 cup (or a little more, or a little less) dark chocolate chips - I favor the Ghirardelli bittersweet chips for their taste and texture.
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 9x5" loaf pan. I use palm shortening because it has no flavor and doesn't burn, but you could also use butter or oil.
In a large bowl, mix all the dry ingredients MINUS THE SUGAR. If you keep your almond and coconut flours in the freezer, they'll be clumpy, so be sure and break up those clumps. I use my hands for that.
In an even larger bowl, mix the sugar and all the wet ingredients MINUS THE BUTTER.
Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ones and mix with a whisk just until combined.
Fold the melted butter in in three additions using a rubber spatula. Don't be scared if the batter seems to become un-emulsified. Just keep folding and it'll come back together a little fluffier than before.
Last, fold in the chips!
Pour/scoop/otherwise encourage the batter (it'll be thick but flexible) into your greased loaf pan. Smooth the top, making sure the batter has spread into the corners and fills the pan evenly. This step is a bit more labor intensive than with a regular pound cake or tea cake because the batter is so thick, so don't worry if it takes a moment to get it right.
Pop it in the oven and bake for 40-55 minutes, rotating halfway through, until a toothpick or paring knife inserted in the middle comes out mostly clean and the top springs back when pressed gently. If you're serving it right away, you can slightly undercook it if you'd like it a little gooey. If this is the case, take it out when the toothpick comes out with some gooey chocolate on it, but the top of the cake still springs back.
Let it cool five or ten minutes before running a paring knife around the edges of the pan.
Enjoy!! Try it toasted, topped with almond butter, regular butter, coconut milk ice cream, regular ice cream, coconut cream, or nothing at all.
And now, a teaser picture previewing my next post...which will NOT take me a month to write...
>S
