I have to confess.. I really love sweets.  If I could live on desserts and never get fat, I would be the first in line eating sweets for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  However, reality bites and as I get older, I  have to exercise every day just to maintain my current weight which somehow gradually creeps up like wrinkles!

We always get asked about gluten free desserts as more and more people are now on gluten free diets.  Gluten is a mixture of proteins commonly found in foods such as wheat, barley and rye and for those who are gluten intolerant, they have celiac disease which is a genetic autoimmune disorder.  When they eat gluten, the lining of their intestines are destroyed.  More and more people are diagnosed every year.  So what do we do?  There are many options out there now with Gluten Free products in all the major supermarkets.  One of the recipes I tested recently is a gluten free chocolate and coconut torte that reminds me of eating a Bounty cake.

For those of you who really love sweets as much as I do and if you are gluten intolerant, here is an alternative for you.  Even if you are not, I am very sure this will pass the test as a delicious and yumilicious dessert.  Enjoy!  For those of you who would love to know more about gluten free cooking and baking classes, do check out our schedules here and check out the category Cook: Health/Raw/Wellness.  

Ingredients:

50g cacao powder

1/2 cup boiling water

1 cup caster sugar

150g coconut oil (liquid)

3 eggs at room temperature

150g almond meal

1/2 tsp bicarb soda, sifted pinch salt

Chocolate glaze:

150g dark chocolate

30g coconut oil (liquid)

Coconut layer:

1 1/2 cups icing sugar, sifted

1 1/3 cups desiccated coconut

3 egg whites, lightly beaten (or as much as you need to make it spreadable)

Method:

Preheat oven to 150 degrees C for fan forced ovens or 170 degrees C.  Grease and line base and sides of a 22cm springform pan with baking paper.

Combine cacao and boiling water in metal bowl. Cool.

Using a paddle for the mixer, beat sugar, coconut oil and eggs for 3 minutes or until it is smooth and thickened.

Combine the almond meal, bicarb soda and salt in a bowl.  Stir through to ensure it is properly combined. With the motor on low speed, add the cacao mixture through the egg mixture. Add almond mixture and stir through until combined.  Spoon batter into prepared pan and bake for 45 minutes or until a crust has formed but the cake is still slightly wobbly in the centre.  Let the cake cool completely in the pan.  The texture of the cake should be crusty on the outside and moist on the inside.

To make the coconut layer, combine all the ingredients.  When the cake is cool, take some coconut mixture and spread it evenly on your hand before patting it on top of the cake.  Do this until you use all the coconut mixture and it is evenly distributed on top of the cake, even right to the side of the cake.  Then remove the cake from the pan and the baking paper.

To make the glaze, melt the chocolate and coconut  oil over a bain marie.  Cool down until it is slightly thick and spread over the cake (ensure the cake is over a wire rack with a tray at the bottom).  Cover the sides with a palette knife.

Place the cake in the fridge until it is cool.  Cut the cake into slices and serve.