An orgasm of another kind. Absolutely no eggs required. Not that eggs are required for the types of orgasms our dear ‘mouse has offered up, but our dear sweet Bakerina is one who is rather enamored with eggs. I can even say that I think she finds them, ahem, orgasmic! I, however, am not quite so fond. So for those of you who want to venture to a land where even eggs are safe from being cracked, I offer up a Chocolate-Almond Midnight cake. From Millennium restaurant in San Francisco. I can more than vouch for its goodness. It really and truly has no match.
Let the eggs become chickens. Give this recipe a whirl. Cross my NakedHeart and hope to, well, hmm, uh, strip! You won’t be at all disappointed.
Chocolate Almond Midnight
Makes one 8-inch cake; Serves 12 (or perhaps just 2 if you’re living at our house. I have no idea how an 8-inch cake could ever truly serve 12. Certainly not if they love chocolate, could possibly want seconds and must have more for tomorrow during tea).
Cashew Crust
1/3 cup unsalted cashew nuts
3 tablespoons sucanat
3 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Chocolate Mousse
2 cups (16 ounces) malt-sweetened, non dairy chocolate chips
24.6 ounces extra firm low-fat silken tofu
3/4 cup sucanat
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
Maple Almond Praline
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 cup slivered almonds
Raspberry Sauce
2 cups fresh or 10 ounces unsweetened frozen raspberries, thawed
1/4 cup sucanat or fructose
To make the cashew crust:
Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly oil an 8-inch round springform or false bottom pan. In a food processor, grind the cashews until they resemble fine meal. Add the sucanat, oil and vanilla. Process again until well combined. In a small bowl, stir the flour and salt together. Add the cashew mixture and mix into the flour, beginning with a spatula and ending with your hands. Press the crust into the prepared pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until light brown and dry.
To make the chocolate mousse:
In a double boiler over barely simmering water, melt the chocolate chips. In a blender or food processor, combine the silken tofu, sucanat, vanilla and salt. Process, then add the melted chocolate and blend for 2 minutes or until very smooth and completely combined.
Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly oil the sides of the cake pan above the prebaked crust. Pour the mousse mixture into the pan and bake for 35 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes, then run a paring knife around the inside of the pan. Let the cake cool to the touch, refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Unmold just before serving.
To make the praline: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the maple syrup to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Add the almonds and stir constantly until the maple syrup has completely crystallized on the almonds and the almonds appear dry.
Pour the almonds onto a baking sheet and let cool. Store in an airtight container for up to five weeks.
To make the raspberry sauce: In a blender, combine the raspberries and sucanat, then blend to a smooth sauce. Strain the sauce through a fine-meshed sieve. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
To serve: Cut a big slice of cake and ignore the fact that this is supposed to serve 12. For each serving, pool raspberry sauce on a place and top with a slice of cake. Top with lots of the maple almond praline and garnish with fresh fruit, cocoa powder and mint.
You can make a wheat free version of this by replacing the all-purpose flour in the crust with rice, barley or spelt flour.