Flourless and Fabulous

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by Hannah (BitterSweet)
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Grab your chocolate and your whisks; It’s time for a special Valentine’s Day Daring Baker Challenge!

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE’s blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef.

We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

Flourless chocolate cake is a staple recipe that should be in any decent baker’s repertoire. While I wasn’t exactly on the edge of my seat, dying for a chance to make it, this certainly was a good excuse to perfect my own approach… And eat some over-the-top, decadent, rich chocolate cake in the process.

Still buzzing from the excitement of having been in Johnny’s pastry kitchen, I jumped on this challenge almost as soon as it had been announced; Within the first week of February, to be sure. Drawing inspiration from Jean George’s own molten chocolate cake, I decided to construct and plate mine in a similar fashion.

Happy to see that the black-eyed pea cake I made to celebrate the new year was actually a perfect fit, I made a few simple changes to make the batter smoother, and a bit richer. All you need is more chocolate, pretty much!  This intense cake is definitely a chocoholic’s dream, and it wouldn’t take a big serving to satisfy even the most voracious sweet tooth.

However, it seemed to me like the coconut chai ice cream that I made as an accompaniment really stole the show, adding a much needed refreshing component to the plate. It certainly doesn’t need to be served with this decadent chocolate bomb to be delicious, either… Although a light drizzle of extra ganache certainly doesn’t hurt!

Yield: Makes 1 Scant Quart

Coconut Chai Ice Cream

Coconut Chai Ice Cream

Creamy yet light and brightly spiced, this ice cream is an excellent palate cleanser and focal point alike.

Cook Time 10 minutes
Additional Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 Cups (One 14-Ounce Can) Full-Fat Coconut Milk
  • 1 Whole Star Anise
  • 10 Whole Cloves
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Ground Allspice
  • 2 Whole Cinnamon Sticks
  • 1 Inch Fresh Ginger, Roughly Chopped
  • 10 Whole Black Peppercorns
  • 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cardamom
  • 3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
  • 1 (12-Ounce) Package Extra-Firm Silken Tofu
  • 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
  • 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
  • 1/8 Teaspoon Xanthan Gum

Instructions

  1. In a medium sauce pan, combine the coconut milk, spices, and sugar. Scald the mixture (bring it just to the brink of boiling) and then turn off the heat. Cover, and let steep for 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, thoroughly drain the tofu and place it in your food processor or blender. Completely puree, scraping down the sides so that no pieces remain. Add in the vanilla and salt, and pulse to combine.
  3. Once the coconut milk has been infused with the spices, strain out the solids and add the liquid into the food processor. With the motor running, sprinkle in the xanthan gum. Scrape down the sides and pulse a few more times to make sure everything is incorporated.
  4. Let the mixture cool completely in the refrigerator before churning in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 254Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 100mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 1gSugar: 25gProtein: 3g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.

© Hannah Kaminsky
Cuisine: American / Category: Frozen Desserts

 

78 thoughts on “Flourless and Fabulous”

  8. I knew your Valentino would be something special! Coconut Chai ice cream? Fabulous and creative! Also, your photos are pushing me to dole out the money for a macro lens, another Ego light (I only have one and barely any natural light in my apt), and a couple more lenses! I’m going to go broke..lol Beautiful job all around!

  10. Coconut Chai Ice Cream? I love coconut and chai, that is a recipe I will have to try! Cake looks wonderfull and the ice cream sounds like it’s to die for! Great job!! Beautiful!

  20. Beautiful presentation!!! That ice cream sounds amazing! Do you think it would work without an ice cream maker just as well?

  26. Beautiful job on the plating! I love the perfect dots of ganache!

    Chocolate cake doesn’t do it for me but that ice cream, coconut, YUM, sounds heavenly!
    ~ingrid

  33. Coconut chai ice cream sounds wonderful – the perfectly spicy accompaniment. And I love the little cakes – so cute. As always, beautiful job!

  34. Hannah – your presentation is lovely, and I can’t wait to try that Coconut Chai ice-cream!! – I had fun making your wonderful version of the flourless chocolate cake, delicious!! :)

  37. I like that you make your own ice cream. I have tried in the past to do this, but have never yielded successful results. I think that’s one of those things I’m better off buying ;)

  38. This is such a beautiful plate of decadent chocolate! Your cake looks so rich yet nice and cakey. My ice cream was the favorite too, and I thought it was so weird to be making ice cream in February!

  41. Very nice! It certainly looks like a rich dessert. One my waistline can’t afford – LOL – but that doesn’t stop me from wanting it. ;)

  42. I tried the so delicious coconut milk vanilla ice cream recently, and wasn’t a fan. But I’ve been wanting to try my own, because I love their coconut milk yogurts. I wonder what was different about the ice cream? Thanks for the recipe, and the cake looks amazing, too!

  43. Lovely! I’m always excited to see your twist on the Daring Baker’s challenges and you never disappoint. Coconut chai ice cream? Sounds amazing!!

  45. It’s not an ordinary brownie with ice cream… it’s an amazing vegan chocolate flourless flower shaped cake with coconut chai ice cream, chocolate sauce and a chocolate shell wedge!!! Bravo, I am shaking with my jaw dropped in envy of your skill and mastery :D

  49. These photos are lovely, and the chai ice cream sounds delicious – I am definitely adding it to my “to make” list!

  51. I want to make this ice cream so badly! Yet, the snow outside makes me want something warm.
    Once it is summer, I’m making this for sure!!
    -LOVE

  53. You always make food look soooo good. I love the ice cream flavor too! I have some friends who have all sorts of food allergies and they’ve been asking me about good recipes and I’m sending them here! :) You rock, chica.

  56. I think is the one time in my life where I would ignore chocolate and just ask for “more ice cream please.” Coconut chai? Amazing.

  57. That is just amazing Hannah, love the chocolate and… I got to see your recipe with the black eye peas (which I missed in december)! The thing is; I have a whole lot of those peas just waiting to be processed and your cake just sounds like the perfect recipe for that! I will let you know how it goes!

  59. Well, I’m not sure the fact that it was flourless was what made it fabulous… I think without even tasting it, one could say that your presentation is so spectacular, it makes the experience… fabulous, on its own! Bravo.

  68. Chai icecream sounds utterly divine! I’ve got to try this! Thanks for sharing another of your delicious creations!

  69. I came by from Flickr! U have an amazing place here. Each & all of your recipes & pics rock !! I’ll add u to my links.

  71. Coconut chai ice cream.. oh my! I love the different flavours of ice cream some have come up with. Yours sounds so amazing and the presentation of the cake is lovely!

  75. Hannah – How much more chocolate did you add in this version? And which kind – the chips or powder? I loved the black eyed pea cake and would love to try this version. The ice cream sounds delicious, too!

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