rich chocolate mousse cake

This was my first try at making a vegan and gluten-free cake! I had set my mind to it – this diet change to exclude eggs and wheat has been a bit dramatic, to say the least – but I told myself I COLD DO THIS. The pressure was on, it was for my 30th birthday party and I was not going to disappoint anyone, especially myself ;)

All said and done! Easy as pie – or I should say ‘cake’! And it turned out so good, my guest were impressed and so was I. It was flour-less, egg-less with no dairy ~ but you wouldn’t believe it if you had a taste as your taste buds would make you want to dance around in the grass, barefoot. Then you’d stop and ask for another piece…. and probably dance again ;)

And since it was my party, I felt like a queen and declared with an authoritative voice (but only in my head) I CAN HAVE CAKE, AND EAT IT TOO!!!

recipe adapted from here

RICH CHOCOLATE MOUSSE CAKE

{vegan & gluten-free }

First brew 1/2 cup of double strong coffee or espresso (decaf works); or use 2 rounded tablespoons of instant coffee in 1/2 cup freshly boiled water. Sweeten with stevia, to taste (or sugar).

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line the bottom of a 9-inch Springform pan with greased parchment paper.

You’ll need 2 of these cakes to make a double tiered cake like in the photo. (Double the ingredients if you want to do it at one time)

• 6 ounces unsweetened dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 1 1/2 cups organic vanilla soy milk or non-dairy vanilla milk, heated
• 1 tablespoon bourbon vanilla
• 1 14-oz can organic pumpkin puree
• 1 1/4 cup organic golden brown sugar
• 1/2 cup GF buckwheat flour
• 2 tablespoons tapioca or potato starch
• 1 tablespoon dry Ener-G Egg Replacer
• 1 teaspoon xanthan gum
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon or ginger

In a double boiler (or a dish set over a pot with boiling water) (but be cautious) add the hot coffee and heated hemp milk with the chocolate.  Mix until chocolate pieces are melted and mixed together.

In a blender or mixer, pour the chocolate/coffee mixture and add the vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree. Blend for a minute. Add the brown sugar, buckwheat flour, tapioca, egg replacer, xanthan gum, sea salt, baking powder, cinnamon or ginger. Cover. Blend on high for a minute. Turn it off (unplug it for safety if you have kids nearby). Using a plastic spatula scrape down the sides if any flour is sticking to the sides. Blend for another minute or two until the batter is creamy and smooth.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan; scrape all the batter out with a small silicone spatula. Smooth the top evenly.

Bake in the center of the oven until the cake is firm- anywhere from 50 to 60 minutes. Check the cake sooner if your experience indicates that flourless cakes and pies bake up quicker than 50 minutes; also, if your experience is that these types of recipes bake longer- check at 50 to 55 minutes; and follow your instincts. The center will be the last to cook- it shouldn’t be wiggly.

Cool the cake on a wire rack. The top will collapse a bit- no worries. When the cake has cooled, cover and chill it at least two hours before serving. The longer the better. Chilling creates a dense fudgy cake.

Serve with chocolate sauce, a few ripe berries, a dusting of confectioner’s sugar, or a few fresh mint leaves.

Serves 8.

So this cake is actually absolutely healthy to indulge in, yet it has the taste and richness of an awesome chocolate mousse cake! You would actually have to try it, to seriously believe me. My guests at the party certainly were shocked, followed by impressed, by this delicious treat. And I’m still impressed with what the combination of buckwheat and pumpkin puree can do to a cake! A cake!

……

Are you restricted or allergic to certain foods? Food is essentially what fuels us, but it’s a little more complicated than we’ve though. There’s so many concerns about allergies, high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure/ low blood pressure, celiac, and so many more (I will even add Myeasthenia Gravis to this list), that can all be related to and actually helped to treat with foods – or usually with the avoidance of certain foods. The point is you can have a normal life, even with food restrictions. It’s hard at first to break out of habit because we’re so used to desserts with wheat flour, eggs and dairy. But it CAN be a normal life and it can taste great. Don’t get intimidated by the restrictions – embrace them.

Although some people are so uninformed and a bit foolish to think that this is somehow effecting people’s lives negatively. I am thinking of a ‘friend’ of ours, who at a recent barbecue at our house, made a crazy comment. At the discussion of another friend’s increased cholesterol (not even knowing about my crazy diet) said: “having to change your diet completely looses sense of life” – seriously??? I’m actually worried that maybe he’s not the only one thinking this. Sometimes a diet change is forced on us for health reasons, whether it be allergies, celiac etc., or it could be as simple as changing things up – adding variety to our food (and desserts) – the point is that it’s still a great way to eat and live! And you can still ‘have your cake and eat it too!’ ;)

Have you tried or are on a certain diet right now or have been in the past?
Is it a struggle for you? Have you craved foods you’re not supposed to eat? And was/ is it successful?
I hope you can have cake and eat it too! xo