“If chocolate is the answer, the question is irrelevant.”

The Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Strawberry Mascarpone Gateau came about 3 days ago. I ~~needed to~~ wanted to bake a cake for our anniversary. There was inspiration aplenty with fresh strawberries from a recent trip to the Baramati vineyards near Pune urging me to do something. Preferably something good. The cake is a result of the many ideas that were brimming in my crowded head.

My thoughts included something chocolate, definitely dark chocolate. Also something flourless as I attempt to cut back on flour and carbs. Almond meal was a choice, but that funnily that didn’t happen even though I love baking with almond meal. Pistachios got included because some good folk sent me a bag to taste.

Homemade mascarpone increasingly a natural choice as it is far better behaved than the low fat cream that we get here. It obliges in charming way, so I made a batch the previous night. Balsamic strawberries came around in an attempt to stop my recent shopping from spoilage as the mercury rises! And finally, the meringue on top because I find the effect quite captivating and whimsical. I’ve done a Chocolate Meringue Strawberry Cream Slice and Strawberry Meringue Chocolate Layer Cake in the past, so I know the combination and technique work well. This time around the almonds were replaced with pistachio slivers, the play of colours quite intriguing.

Dark Chocolate Strawberry Mascarpone Gateau Needed a mood uplift as I have been feeling rather unaccomplished of late. Too much work = too much stress = no time for fun stuff. This gateau was fun!

It’s a cake as simple as it gets. No flour, so no gluten. The texture is rich and moist. Eggs, sugar, chocolate and a little water is all it takes. I threw in some pure vanilla extract too.

A meringue on top always bakes up rustic pretty. Slivered nuts like almonds or pistachios add to the charm. The play of colours is visually uplifting as well. If your meringue begins to colour up too quick, tent it with some foil. My oven uses just the lower element for baking so the top is safe.

Mr PAB was amazed at the cake; couldn’t believe that it was flour-less. Praised it endlessly and thought I was a magician! I did feel quite accomplished eventually even though there are plenty of flour-less cakes around. A bonus is that this one has no butter!

It turned out to be a pretty cake. Pretty delicious too! Moist, dark, deep, chocolaty, indulgent, fruity, therapeutic, flour-less, sans butter … and fun!

Recipe: Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Strawberry Mascarpone Gateau

Summary: The Gluten Free Dark Chocolate Strawberry Mascarpone Gateau is a cake as simple as it gets. No flour and no butter. The texture is rich and moist, since eggs, sugar and chocolate {and a little water} is all it takes. A pretty cake. Pretty delicious too! Moist, dark, deep, chocolaty, indulgent, fruity, therapeutic, flourless, sans butter … and fun!

Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 1 hour Ingredients:

Dark chocolate Cake
Makes 2 8″ layers
7 eggs, separated
200g vanilla or granulated sugar
200g dark chocolate, melted
1tbsp vanilla extract
2tbsp hot water
Balsamic Strawberries
200gms fresh strawberries
30ml good quality balsamic vinegar
100g granular sugar
1 vanilla bean {optional}
Filling
100g low fat cream, chilled
150g mascapone, chilled
30-45g powdered sugar {as per taste}
50g pistachios, chopped {and a few slivered for meringue topping}

Method:

Dark chocolate Cake
Preheat the oven to 180C. Line the base and sides of 2 8″ springform tin {I used 8″ dessert rings}
In a large clean bowl whip the 6 egg whites until stiff, reserve.
In another large bowl, beat the 7 yolks with 180g sugar until pale, creamy and mousse like, 5-7 minutes on high speed.
Beat in the vanilla extract, then whisk in the melted chocolate and hot water
Gently fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture. Divide between two 8″ baking tins.
Beat the remaining egg white with 20g powdered sugar to stiff peaks, and gently spread over the batter of one layer. Sprinkle with slivered pistachios.
Bake for about 30-35 minutes until slightly firm to touch and a tester comes out with a few cumbs hanging/ barely moist. The meringue topped layer might take a little longer, about 7-10 minutes more.
Cool completely in tin.
Balsamic Strawberries {make ahead and cool}
Place strawberries, sugar, scraped vanilla bean and balsamic vinegar in a sauce pan, and simmer until the strawberries just become soft, still holding their shape.
Strain strawberries out into a large bowl.
Return the liquid back to the pan and simmer until it reduces to a thick syrup. Discard vanilla bean if using, and pour syrup over reserved strawberries. Cool completely, then chill. {Can be made 1-2 days ahead}
Filling
Whip all ingredients to stiff peaks just prior to assembling cake.
Assemble
Place the layer without the meringue on the serving platter within a dessert ring.
Top with a few tbsp of balsamic strawberries followed by the whipped mascarpone filling. Top with some more balsamic strawberries.
Place the second layer over the filling, and gently press into place. Chill for at least an hour or overnight. Then demold.
Sprinkle over with powdered sugar and top with fresh sliced strawberries. Chill until ready to serve.