Whether or not you are gluten-free, if you love chocolate, you are sure to like this unique, spicy cake, created by Nancy Waldeck, a chef at Cancer Wellness at Piedmont. As a bonus, the cocoa powder provides a healthy dose of antioxidants and flavonoids.
Cake Ingredients:
- Nonstick cooking spray
- ¾ cup sugar, plus more for dusting the pan
- 1.5 cups toasted pecans
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, grated
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon chocolate chile powder (Find this in the grocery store or make your own by combining 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder and ¼ teaspoon of chipotle chile powder.)
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 8 eggs, separated
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350F. Coat a 10-inch springform pan with nonstick spray, line the bottom with parchment paper and sprinkle sugar over the bottom and sides of the pan, shaking out the excess.
Step 2
Combine ¾ cup of sugar with pecans in a food processor and grind until very fine. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in grated chocolate, vanilla, chile, cayenne, cinnamon and egg yolks.
Step 3
Whip egg whites until stiff peaks form.
Step 4
Fold egg whites into chocolate mixture, about a third at a time. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until the center of the cake is firm. Cool completely, then drizzle with chocolate chili glaze.
Chocolate chile glaze ingredients:
- ¾ cup cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons chocolate chile powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 2 cups skim milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Whisk cocoa powder, cinnamon, chile and cayenne in a bowl. Beat butter until creamy. Alternate adding the cocoa mixture with milk to the butter. Beat mixture to a drizzling consistency and blend in vanilla.
For more recipes, browse the Recipe Index. For more about Chef Nancy, visit her website, Taste and Savor.
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