Gluten-free Chocolate Raspberry Cake
SERVES 8 PREP & COOK 1 HOUR 15 MINS
180g block cooking dark chocolate, chopped
125g unsalted butter, chopped
4 eggs, at room temperature, separated
½ cup caster sugar
1 cup almond meal
2 x 125g punnets raspberries
¹/³ cup pure icing sugar
1 tblsp vanilla essence
250g punnet strawberries, hulled, halved
300ml tub thickened cream, whipped
1 Invert base of a 21cm springform pan (base measures 20cm). Grease and line base and side with baking paper, extending paper 2cm above pan edge.
2 Place chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl.
Sit bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir until melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Cool completely.
3 Beat yolks and sugar in small bowl of an electric mixer until pale and creamy. Transfer to a large bowl. Add chocolate mixture with almond meal. Stir to combine. Remove eight raspberries from one punnet. Add the remaining raspberries from punnet. Stir to combine. 4 Beat egg whites in same, clean bowl of electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold into chocolate mixture in two batches until just combined. Pour into prepared pan. Smooth over top. Sprinkle the eight raspberries on top. 5 Cook in a moderately slow oven (160C) for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove from oven. Cool completely in pan.
6 Meanwhile, combine icing sugar, vanilla and 2 tblsps hot water in a large bowl. Stir in remaining punnet of raspberries and strawberries. Set aside for 2 hours, or until ready to serve.
7 Serve cake topped with whipped cream and berry mixture.