Strawberries and chocolate go together in a light spring cake

Here at Sacramento Digs Gardeninge we focus on recipes for what's in season and what gardeners are themselves growing. But because of that, we don't often feature recipes including chocolate. (Can't grow cacao here, sorry!) But this recipe fills the bill for the chocolate-plus-fruit fans.

And the strawberries look so good now! Indulge in several pints before more rain hits the strawberry fields. Feature some of the berries in this lovely little cake that incidentally contains no flour and no dairy products. (It does include eggs, so not vegan.)

I adapted this recipe from an India-based blog; it was entirely in metric measurements, which meant my kitchen scale got a workout. I've included the metric amounts should you also be a baker that weighs ingredients. The conversions are as close as possible while being realistic for a non-metric kitchen.

Use a baking chocolate bar that contains at lease 60 percent cacao; chocolate chips will not work.

About the almonds: The recipe can be made with roasted unsalted almonds (I find mine at Trader Joe's), or with raw almonds that are toasted in a pan. (Method for that at the bottom of the recipe.) No need to remove the skins. When grinding the nuts, aim to get them evenly ground but short of almond paste! Some of mine were a bit chunkier still than they should have been, but they then sunk to the bottom of cake, forming an unintentional suggestion of a crust layer.

The cake itself is like a light, somewhat fudgy brownie, and the strawberries on top add a percfect note of fruit flavor. Sprinkle the cake with confectioner's sugar if desired.

Flourless strawberry-chocolate cake

Serves 8 

Ingredients:

3 large eggs

5/8 cup (90 grams) whole almonds, either roasted-unsalted or raw and toasted (see Note below)

1/2 cup (90 grams) dark baking chocolate, broken in pieces (most of a 4-ounce bar)

5 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon (64 grams) fruity extra-virgin olive oil

16 ounces (300 grams) fresh, bright strawberries, preferably close to the same size

1/3 cup (75 grams) superfine or granulated sugar

1 tablespoon dark rum or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Confectioner's sugar, for sprinkling (optional)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan, line the inside base with a round of parchment paper, and grease that as well. Set aside.

Separate the eggs while they're still cold. Place the yolks in a medium bowl and the whites in a large clean bowl (metal or glass work best).  Allow them to come to room temperature while you're working on other steps.

Toast the almonds if using raw almonds. Allow to cool. Grind these almonds or, if using, the roasted-unsalted ones in a food processor or spice grinder until evenly ground, like cornmeal. Set aside.

Place the chocolate pieces in a heat-proof bowl over a pan of gently simmering water to melt. Make sure the bowl does not touch the water. Once the chocolate is melted, remove from heat and stir in the olive oil until combined.

Wash, dry and hull the strawberries. Cut them in half vertically, and place the halves cut side down on a clean kitchen towel or a double layer of paper towels. This will blot them enough to keep them from weeping in the cake. 

To the egg yolks, add the sugar and whisk until light and creamy. Then whisk in the chocolate-olive oil mixture, the dark rum or vanilla extract, and the ground almonds.

With a mixer, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form. Whisk a tablespoon of the whipped egg white into the chocolate mixture to loosen it, then gently fold in the rest of the egg whites.

Spread the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Place the strawberry halves cut side down evenly on the top of the cake.

Bake the cake for 32 to 37 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then gently remove the side ring from the springform pan.  Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar if desired.

The cake cuts best when fully cool, but can be served warm, with whipped cream or ice cream and additional berries, as desired.

Note: To toast raw almonds on the stove top, heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the almonds in a single layer. After 30 seconds, stir, and continue stirring every half-minute or shake the pan until the almonds are fragrant and evenly brown. Do not turn your back on the stove while they are toasting -- nuts can burn very quickly. Allow the nuts to cool before grinding for the recipe above.