Thought I would revisit my love of chocolate by (re)sharing my recipe for flourless chocolate cake. This inaugural post on Cooklore remains one of my favourites and was originally posted in July 2012.
Before jumping straight to the good stuff, I’d like to draw your attention to some links highlighting the darker side of chocolate – child labour. NGO’s have been fighting for ethically sourced cocoa for years. Read about The Good Chocolate Guide and the demand for Canadian chocolate companies to voluntarily implement safer labour conditions here.
Wishing you warm hands & even warmer hearts. I am off to the restaurant to serve couples willing to brave the elements and meet our winter storm in its most recent incarnation …
“We have a surprise and it’s a cake!”

When I was three years old and my mother was feeling unwell in the early stages of her pregnancy with my sister, I spent weekday afternoons at my grandparents’ house while my father was at work. My grandmother and I passed many of these afternoons in the kitchen. We baked cookies, cakes, and loaves and often had a surprise for my father when he came to take me home after work. Our creations were rarely surprises as I was often overcome with the desire to announce our efforts as soon as my Dad came through the door. He never failed to act surprised and I learned from an early age that food was something to be celebrated.

In the kitchen with my grandmother
(picture taken by my father)
I no longer bake most of the treats that I came to love in my grandmother’s kitchen. Taste preferences and dietary needs often shift as we grow older, but her early lessons continue to shape my cooking and eating by reminding me that food demands time, care and attention. My grandmother taught me that sometimes simple food is just what you need and that a well-timed culinary surprise can bring delight to others.

Although it is unlikely that my grandmother would recognize many of the ingredients that stock my gluten-free, mostly vegetarian kitchen, I like to think that she would feel at home here making a cup of tea and wondering what we might have for dessert.
Flourless chocolate cake would certainly be on the menu.

Flourless Chocolate Cake (serves 8) – Gluten and lactose free
This cake is rich and moist like a brownie. I experimented with this recipe several times before achieving the texture and flavor I desired. A small slice with a cup of coffee or glass of red wine goes a long way.
2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup cocoa powder
Melt chocolate and oil over low heat using double boiler method to ensure the chocolate does not burn.
Remove from heat and place in mixing bowl. Add sugar and eggs and mix well before adding cocoa powder.
Pour evenly into lightly oiled round cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until a light crust forms over the top of the cake.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring it to a cake rack or serving plate.
