Chocolate Buckwheat Cake

 

I almost went to work today.  I have to admit that upon waking, I completely forgot it was the Fourth of July.  A holiday.  Everything is closed, including my workplace.

 

 

It took me until I had already eaten breakfast, brushed my teeth, laid out clothes for work and was in the shower, shampooing away, that it finally hit me.

This was at 7:30 am.

I’m not going to deny that I stood there for several minutes, shampoo in my hair, debating if it was really worth it to take the time to completely rinse out the suds before burrowing back in bed.  The fact that my pillows and bed would have been soaked in shampoo suds and shower water didn’t seem to matter.  Only the fact that I had woken up and removed myself from bed at such an ungodly hour on a day when I should have slept in.

 

 

Rather than being the lazy bum I apparently am, I opted to make this lightly chocolate buckwheat cake instead.  This recipe comes from Smitten Kitchen, who has never steered me wrong, so I knew it was a winner before I even began.  Powdered sugar generously sifted over and fresh sweet cherries piled on completes this more than perfect cake.

 

 

The sprinkling of buckwheat and almond flours lend a slight nuttiness that compliments the delicate chocolatey-ness and light airy crumb.  You’d never know this cake didn’t contain even a whisper of wheat flour.  The name “buckwheat” is misleading; it contains zero wheat and is actually related to rhubarb.  It’s packed with protein, antioxidants, minerals, and fiber.  It’s magical.  I love it.

 

I may never make any other chocolate cake again.

 

Happy Birthday America!

 

 

Chocolate Buckwheat Cake
From Smitten Kitchen

7 Tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for buttering the pan
100 grams semisweet chocolate chips, gluten- and soy-free
4 large eggs, room temperature
100 grams granulated sugar
pinch sea salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
35 grams buckwheat flour
30 grams almond meal
powdered sugar, to top
pitted, halved cherries, to top

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter a 9-inch cake pan and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a double-boiler or in the microwave in short 30-second bursts, stirring after each 30-second burst.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the eggs, sugar, and salt until doubled in size and pale in color.  This can take 5 minutes or more.  Give it lots of time as the fluffiness will help give the cake size and a wonderful crumb.

Gently fold in the vanilla and chocolate mixture.  Sprinkle the buckwheat and almond flours over the batter and fold gently to combine.  Make sure that no pockets of flour remain.

Pour into the buttered and lined pan and bake for 20 to 30 minutes.  The cake is one when a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let cool for five minutes on a rack.  Run the edge of a clean table knife around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake from the pan and then invert, remove the parchment paper, and invert again on the serving plate.

Using a fine mesh sieve, sprinkle powered sugar over the top of the cake and top with the pitted and halved cherries.  Serve warm or at room temperature.