- 6 oz premium bittersweet (72% or higher) dark chocolate, broken into pieces
- 1/2 tsp cayenne powder
- 1 vanilla bean pod, scraped (or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract)
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/4 cup California Olive Ranch Arbosana extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup sugar (divided into ½ and ¼ cup measurements)
- 4 eggs, separated
- 3/4 cup Bob's Red Mill almond flour
Preheat oven to 350ºF.
In a double boiler (or a bowl within a pan set-up) melt chocolate over simmering water, stirring smooth. Once melted, stir in the California Olive Ranch Arbosana extra virgin olive oil and cayenne. In your mixer or a mixing bowl by hand, beat egg yolks with ½ cup sugar and vanilla pod seeds or extract until combined and pale in color.
Stir melted chocolate mixture into eggs, a bit at a time, incorporating it swiftly to keep eggs from cooking too quickly. Add almond meal flour.
Set this mixture aside, and beat the egg whites with your mixer until foamy and white. Slowly beat in ¼ cup of remaining sugar and cream of tartar. Continue beating until egg whites are stiff, but not quite meringue. Fold ¼ of your egg white mixture into chocolate batter, then the rest a quarter at a time until completely mixed. The batter will be a bit firm, similar to a loose cookie dough consistency, and may be a bit tough to work with. Take extra care when folding in egg whites. As you add more, the batter will become looser and smoother, making it easier to handle.
Pour batter into an 8-inch or 9-inch cake pan (A springform pan works best!) that has been lined with foil or baking parchment paper.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Let cake cool completely, pop open the spring, and slide onto your serving dish, carefully removing any baking paper or foil. Serve as is or garnish with raspberries, chocolate shavings, almonds, glaze or dust with powdered sugar and cayenne.
Recipe courtesy of Vanessa Nix Anthony, GroovyFoody.com