Sweet Ending

Rum-infused Flourless Chocolate Cake with

Strawberries (Vegetarian/Gluten-Free)

I am so excited we have premium quality local chocolate on the market again. My dear friend and fellow British Jamaican Nick Davis is the brains behind the award-winning One One Cacao. He has different varietals and the one I used in this gluten-free cake was 75% dark, St Thomas origin. The chocolate itself is vegan, but as I use eggs in this recipe for a chewy meringue-like texture, it is ovo lacto vegetarian. Also it is so naturally rich and creamy, I cut down the sugar content considerably compared to other chocolate cakes. Serve slices with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Do not be alarmed by the crackly top. Flourless cakes are imperfect-looking beauties!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups St Thomas 75% dark chocolate

3/4 cup unsalted butter

6 eggs, separated

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 tbsps dark Jamaican rum

Carton of strawberries, cut into quarters

Icing sugar for dusting

Method:

• Preheat oven to 325F.

• Generously grease a springform baking pan with unsalted butter.

• Separate eggs (in yolks and white)

• Melt chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl over hot water. You can totally do this step in a microwave but I am scared of compromising the quality of this superior chocolate by doing so.

In your mixer, add the egg yolks and whisk with sugar until pale and light in texture. Mix into chocolate mixture with the rum.

• Next whisk the whites at medium speed until soft peaks form and gently fold into mixture until incorporated with the rest o f the ingredients without overmixing.

• Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes.

• Cool down slightly and remove from springform pan. Place on a cake stand, top with strawberries and dust with icing sugar.

— by Juicy Chef