Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Sourdough Cake with Chocolate Ganache
If a deeply decadent chocolate treat is your thing, then this is your cake!
“He showed the words “chocolate cake” to a group of Americans and recorded their word associations. “Guilt” was the top response. If that strikes you as unexceptional, consider the response of French eaters to the same prompt: “celebration.”
― Michael Pollan, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto
My grandfather possessed a deep love of chocolate. The richer and darker, the better. For his birthday I always gave him dark chocolate bars and there was always a chocolate dessert at gatherings he would be attending. Since his passing, we have not had a single chocolate cake or dessert at a family gathering (that I can remember). I pondered this as I was creating this recipe. Isn’t it funny how we make things for those we love? To honor them and bring them joy. To make them feel special. This cake is deeply chocolatey, decadently rich and moist, with an elegant chocolate ganache to give it a shine. A creation my grandfather would have loved. This recipe is dedicated to him. As a funny side note, in jest, he always called my baking business “The Nude Prune.” A nickname that still makes me giggle to myself on a regular basis.
This cake is easily made dairy free and you can use flax eggs as a substitute if need be. I have used all kinds of different sugar to make this cake, each will lend a slightly different flavor. Cane sugar, coconut sugar, maple sugar, light brown sugar. Just please don’t substitute a liquid sugar, like honey or maple syrup, I would hate for these beautiful ingredients to go to waste. For the ganache, if you want it dairy free, just replace the heavy cream with a full fat canned coconut milk.
A note, do not wring the liquid out of your zucchini. I know a lot of recipes call for the “drying” of your zucchini, but in this recipe, you want all the the moisture the shredded zucchini adds, including its liquid.
A cake worthy of any company or celebration, yet simple enough for a middle of the week indulgence. You will find yourself coming back to this recipe time and time again, for yourself and all of the chocolate loving people in your lives. May it bring you feelings of celebration and none of guilt.
RECIPE
This recipe makes 1 single layer 8 inch cake
INGREDIENTS:
For the cake:
160 grams gluten free sourdough starter (can use active or discard)
150 grams sugar of your choice (cane, coconut, maple, brown sugar, just not liquid)
113 grams butter, melted and slightly cooled (or coconut oil)
2 eggs
100 grams almond flour
50 grams light buckwheat flour (or sub sorghum flour)
25 grams cocoa powder
3/4 teas baking soda
1/2 teas salt
2 C finely grated zucchini, about two 6 inch zucchinis
125 grams dark chocolate, chopped (use your favorite dark chocolate bar)
For the ganache:
4 oz chopped dark chocolate
4 oz heavy cream (or full fat canned coconut milk)
Method:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and dust (use cocoa powder) an 8 inch cake pan, set aside.
In a large bowl whisk together the sourdough starter/discard, sugar, melted butter and 2 eggs.
In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, light buckwheat flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt.
Thoroughly combine the egg mixture with your dry ingredients.
Add the finely grated zucchini and chopped chocolate. Mix until just combined.
Pour batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 50-55 minutes, until just set. You don’t want your cake to have a wobble and you want a toothpick to come out clean when inserted in the middle of your cake.
Remove from oven and let cool on a cooling rack for about 10-15 minutes. When just cool enough to touch, run a butter knife around the edge of the cake. Remove the cake from the pan and let it completely cool on the rack.
While the cake is cooling you can make the chocolate ganache for the top of the cake.
To make the ganache, place chopped chocolate into a small glass or ceramic bowl.
Heat your cream until you just start to see bubbles forming around the outside of your pan. Do not bring the cream to a boil, this will cause the ganache split.
Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit for 2-3 minutes. This allows the cream to gently warm the chocolate.
Stir the chocolate and cream together until it is fully combined and glossy.
Let ganache cool at room temperature for 10 minutes.
Stir the ganache again and pour over your cake, letting it drip down the sides.
Serve and enjoy every bite!
Cake can be wrapped and stored in the fridge for about 5 days.
My hope is that this cake brings you together with loved ones, to gather around a table and laugh and make memories. I hope you indulge in life’s simple pleasures and I can’t wait to see this cake grace your tables.
With gratitude,
Idris Craft
Looks decadent!