chocolate cake (gluten free) and best friend

Our best friend flew into town yesterday for less then twenty four hours.  She wanted to meet the smallest short person for the first time.  Nirinjan works on movies.  I could say everyday because I know she does not take any time for herself but it is the way she likes to tell stories.  These may not be her stories to tell yet but someday they will be.  She likes the learning process.  

But this does mean that she had to make the time to come see the Smallest Short Person.  And she did.  We had a lovely time of conversation, laughter, food, and sleep.  I actually thought I would be posting today about more beans because I was going to continue the thoughts from yesterday.  But this is really the same thing.  Sharing home cooked food with those you love.  Feeding the soul as well as the tummy.  There was a lot of feeding the soul in less the twenty four hours.  We miss her already.

Today, we had a simple dinner of leftover risotto, chai, and chocolate cake.  I guess I have a lot of recipes here to share but today I am going to share the chocolate cake.  To die for.  I picked up the cookbook Home Cooking with Jean-Georges from the library.  It was recommended in the nytimes.com.  I liked a lot of the ideas but there was only one I wished to try.  It was this chocolate cake.  I did make it gluten free.  Oh, by the way, I made this cake before dinner and two hours afterwards, it was all gone.  Really!

Chocolate Cake

Adapted from Home Cooking with Jean-Georges.  I realized I adapted it more then I thought!

4 tablespoons butter

3 eggs, separated

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

3 ounces bittersweet chocolate

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup almond flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Butter a 8 or 9 inch springform pan.

Whisk the egg whites with the granulated sugar until medium-stiff peaks form.

Melt the chocolate and butter together.  Beat in one egg yolk.  Beat in the remaining yolks.  Then beat in the confectioners sugar and almond flour.

Add a third of the whipped egg whites and beat well to loosen the chocolate mixture.  Gently fold in the remaining whites until just combined.  Pour int othe prepared pand and gently spread evenly.

Bake until puffed and knife comes out clean, 17 minutes.

Gently remove from pan after ten minutes of cooling.

Yes, this is a very thin cake but it is lovely.  It has a bit of a brownie texture but it is a wonderful cake.  We started plotting how we could use it in a layer cake or a groom's cake (no one is getting married).  

My Beloved used to think my vanilla cake was the best.  He is really not a chocolate person unless it is VERY good chocolate.  He says I need to make the vanilla cake again.  Then the chocolate.  Then the spice.  Again and again until he can decide which is his favorite.  

I think I see a trend here..... giggle