This is the recipe you want to make when you have something to prove. Not only is it vegan and gluten-free, and the cups are edible, it even has a gooey chocolate sauce center. It takes a while to go up but it’s pretty easy. You can even do this without the chocolate cups and just make the mud cake and the poached pear. So crack! It’s funny. (This was featured in the December issue of The Australian Vegan Mag.)
Preparation:
To cook:
Level: Intermediate
Serves: 9
Ingredients
- FOR THE POACHED PEARS:
- 9 Small ripe pears, peeled with steamers attached
- 1 litre ginger beer
- 1 tbsp Crushed cardamom pods
- 60 grams Grated ginger
- 4 sticks Cinnamon sticks
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Bean Paste
- 1 Lemon, halved
- FOR THE CAKE:
- 60 grams Vegetable fat
- 1 tbsp Instant coffee
- ½ cups Cocoa powder
- ½ tablespoon Molasses
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Bean Paste
- 1 cup Soy milk mixed with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar
- ½ cups Buckwheat flour
- ¼ cups Nut meal (you can make this in the food processor)
- ½ cups Sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoons Salt
- 1 tbsp Cinnamon
- ⅓ cups Boiling water
- FOR THE CHOCOLATE SAUCE TOPPING:
- 60 grams Melted dark chocolate
- ½ cups Coconut heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon Vanilla Bean Paste
- 1 pinch Sea salt
- FOR THE CHOCOLATE MUGS:
- 375 grams Good quality, dark chocolate
- 1 teaspoon lemon essence
- Vegan gold powder
Preparation
For the poached pears:
Place all ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a boil on the stove. Lower the heat and simmer for 1h to 1h30. Keep an eye on the pears and gently flip them once the liquid level is low. Once the pears are tender, remove them and reserve them.
Raise the heat slightly and let the remaining liquid bubble up and become a runny liquid like caramel. Remove from the heat and coat the pears with the liquid. Drain and reserve.
For the cake:
Preheat the conventional oven to 165°C (329°F). Grease a small muffin pan with 9 to 12 holes.
Melt the shortening in a small saucepan on the stove, then remove from the heat. In a blender, add the shortening, coffee, cocoa, molasses, vanilla and milk mixed with vinegar. Blend on low speed until completely combined and smooth.
In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, sift the flour, nut flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and stir until well blended. Add liquid from blender and blend on very low speed until combined.
Slowly pour boiling water over the side of the bowl while mixing on very low speed. Once the water is mixed, scrape down the sides and mix again over low heat for a few seconds.
Pour into muffin tins, filling only halfway. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Check with a toothpick in the center; if it comes out almost clean, it’s ready. Be careful not to overcook – even if you undercook it slightly, it’s better for gluten-free baking.
Let cool in pan for 20 minutes, then invert onto cake rake and let cool completely.
For the chocolate sauce filling:
Melt chocolate — do not heat above 32°C (89°F). Pour the coconut cream into a bowl, then pour the chocolate and vanilla into the cream and stir until smooth. Salt to taste and set aside.
For the chocolate shells (optional):
Use a 30x18cm chocolate ball mold, and a small round mold for the bottom, about 4.5cm wide. Large button molds are perfect for this.
Temper the chocolate and pour into 9 moulds, saving a small amount of chocolate for later. Let take. Once set, remove from mold by gently tapping on bench.
Melt a tiny bit of chocolate and stick the half balls onto the buttons to create a cup. Mix a tiny amount of gold dust with a tiny amount of lemon essence until the consistency of paint is achieved. Brush cups with paint and set aside.
To assemble:
Cut the lids off the tops of the cakes and set aside. Cut them in one piece and reserve the top.
Cut a small amount of cake in the middle of the bottom pieces to create a well. Pour a small amount of sauce into the bottom of the cups. Press the cake into the pans to make sure they fit and trim if necessary.
Pour the sauce into the well then cover with the lids. Push very gently into the cups as far as possible. Place a pear on each cup and serve.
