Blog

Okay Microbiome Diet fans, you’ve waited long enough for your chocolate! With the New Year upon us it is time to celebrate! At The Kellman Center we’re enjoying Chef Carole’s delicious (and beautiful) holiday chocolate cake. Microbiome Dieter’s beware, this is a recipe meant for the third phase – so yes – it contains foods that we recommend you avoid while you’re hard at work healing your gut, but once healed, enjoy!

This intensely chocolatey, gluten free chocolate cake is so rich that a slim slice will more than satisfy. The cake itself only calls for four ingredients but we recommend that you hunt down the highest quality products you can find. The prep is a bit involved (the best recipes usually are – but so worth it!) so consider making it a day in advance of your event. Enjoy!

This recipe serves 12 (or one, if you don’t like to share)

Ingredients for Cake

1 pound of high quality bittersweet chocolate

1⁄4 cup of strong coffee

1⁄2 pound of sweet butter: 2 sticks cut into 16 slices

8 large, organic eggs

Ingredients for Ganache

8 ounces high quality bittersweet chocolate

1 scant cup unsweetened coconut milk

1 tablespoon sweet butter

1⁄4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Ingredients for Raspberry Coulis

2 cups fresh raspberries, reserving 12 for garnish

1⁄2 cup Lakanto

1⁄2 cup water

Instructions for Cake Prep

1. Remove top rack from your oven as the cake will bake on the middle rack. Pre heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Prepare an 8” springform pan. Using the bottom of the pan, draw and cut a circle out of parchment paper. Grease the inside on the pan and line the bottom with the parchment circle. Grease the paper and be sure the sides are well greased. Cut two 20” squares of silver foil and wrap the outside of the pan with them so that no water, from the water bath in which the springform pan will bake, can seep into the pan. Place the sealed pan in a roasting pan that is lined with a dish towel.
3. Boil 4 cups of water for the water bath.
4. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs on high for about 6 minutes or until the eggs greatly increase in volume and become a thick pale yellow foam.
5. While the eggs are being beaten, break the chocolate into small pieces. Put the chocolate, butter and coffee in the top of a double boiler. Stir over medium heat until the mixture is blended and smooth. Cool slightly.
6. Fold 1⁄4 of the egg foam into the chocolate mixture. In three batches, very gently and patiently, fold in the remaining 3⁄4 of the egg foam. The foam should be fully incorporated before adding the next batch. The mixture is ready when there is no evidence of foam.
7. Pour mixture into the springform pan and place the roasting pan in the oven. Pour the boiling water into the roasting pan, being careful not to get any water into the cake mixture. Fill with the water until it reaches about halfway up the side of the springform pan.
8. Bake for 23-28 minutes until a thin crust, like on a brownie, forms on the top. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to remain in the roasting pan for 30 minutes. Transfer the spring form pan to a wire rack and let it cool to room temperature.
9. Wrap the pan in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours or up to 3 days.

Instructions for Ganache and Raspberry Coulis Prep

1.  On serving day remove the cake from the refrigerator and unwrap.
2. Break the chocolate into coarse pieces and place in the top of a double boiler with the coconut milk. Heat until the chocolate melts, stir until smooth and then add the vanilla. The mixture will be thin and liquidy. Let cool slightly and when still warm pour over the cake.
3. To make the raspberry coulis, set aside 24 berries for garnish and place the remainder in a small pot. In a separate pot cook the water and lakanto until it becomes syrupy. Pour the syrup over the pot of berries and cook until soft and berries can be mashed (or puree in a food processor). Using a fine sieve, strain the berry mash or puree and discard the seeds. Set aside the berry sauce (coulis) for serving.
4. To garnish the cake use either thinly sliced mango and pomegranate seeds or simply, fresh raspberries.

To serve, place a small slice of the cake on a plate and spoon the raspberry coulis around it. Place two reserved berries or a few pomegranate seeds on each slice.

If you need some guidance from a GI doctor in NYC or a nutritionist, give us a call today!