Gwuinifer's Chocolate Cake

Moist, dense, indulgently rich, very high in protein and wholesome fats, low in digestible carbohydrates, very low in sugar, gluten-free, nut-free. You won't have to feel guilty serving this at a birthday party or as an afternoon treat with tea-- there are no empty calories here! My kids love it, and so do I! (Now if I could only come up with a suitable frosting for it!)

• 3.5 oz darkest chocolate, broken into small pieces (I used Lindt 85%, one whole bar)
• 1/2 c. butter
• 1/4 c. coconut oil

Preheat oven to 350F. Heat the oils/fats in the microwave (or in a double boiler, or set over a pan of simmering water in a heatproof bowl, if you don't use microwaves) till completely melted. Add chocolate pieces, and stir till chocolate is completely melted. (If you're using a microwave, you may have to zap this mixture a few more times, but do it only for 15-20 sec. intervals, stirring well between each zap, to avoid scorching the chocolate.)

To chocolate mixture, add:

• 1/2 c. erythritol
• 1 t. blackstrap molasses (you can omit this to lower the carb count, but the flavor is improved greatly by it)
• 1 t. vanilla extract

Beat very well till erythritol begins to dissolve and mixture is smooth and even colored. Then add:

• 3 large farm-fresh eggs

Beat mixture firmly until eggs are completely incorporated and mixture has thickened slightly.
In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients:

• 1/3 c. coconut flour
• 1/3 c. whey protein isolate (Make sure there are no weird flavors/sweeteners/additives; just protein in powdered form- I like Bob's Red Mill for this purpose.)
  
• 1/4 c. carob powder
  
• 3/4 t. aluminum-free baking powder
• 1/4 t. sea salt
• 1/4 t. pure stevia extract (I use NuNaturals; a pure dry form. If you are using liquid stevia, your amount may differ; be sure combine it with the chocolate mixture above instead of adding it here.)

Add dry ingredients to wet; stir well to combine. Scrape the whole mess into a buttered glass baking dish. A round glass pie plate, 8" or 9" diameter, or a 8"sq. baking dish will both work; if you use a deeper or more shallow pan, or if you are making cupcakes, your baking time will vary widely, so keep a careful eye on these. Spread batter evenly in dish. Bake for 20min at 350F, then decrease heat to 325F, and bake for an additional 10-15min. Check with a toothpick in the center; the cake is done when it springs back when poked with a finger, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

You can serve this warm, which is yummy, especially with homemade ice cream or a hot berry or caramel sauce, but be advised it can be rather hard to handle until it has cooled slightly. For best presentation, allow to cool a bit until it has firmed up. If you are going to frost it, or serve it as a layer cake, it must cool completely before handling. I usually let mine sit overnight.

Bonus points:
For the adventurous new cook, or those who want the very best texture and an evenly baked cake and are willing to do a little bit of extra work for it, I highly recommend cooking this au bain marie. Just set your cake pan into a larger pan (a 9x13 casserole dish will do the trick), and fill the outer pan with at least an inch of very hot (preferably boiling) water. If this is your first time, here's a hint: ALWAYS put the cake pan into the larger pan BEFORE you add boiling water. This is the voice of experience talking, heh.

Best luck; and let me know how you like it if you try out the recipe!