Vegan Flourless Chocolate Cake

A dairy-free vegan flourless chocolate cake- no tofu.

Vegan Chocolate Cake

A deep dark chocolate cake recipe. Just in time for Valentine's Day. And the best part? It's not only gluten-free, but vegan as well. And it's technically a flourless chocolate cake (which for some retro-fueled reason still conjures the term sexy thanks to Sarah Jessica Parker).

In full disclosure (hey, I vet my recipes okay?) I added a scant amount of buckwheat flour to help it set up without eggs, but buckwheat isn't technically a grain, is it? More of a groat, a fruit kernel. In fact, buckwheat is a cousin to sorrel and rhubarb. I could try to impress you with shout-outs to the Polygonaceae family, dropping botanical distinctions like actinomorphic and calyx as fast as Madonna drops post-Guy Ritchie boyfriends, but I'd rather leave all botany urges behind and get back to chocolate and celebrating the dream of true love. 

All in the nick of time for Valentine's Day.

One important lesson I've learned after three years of blogging original recipes and building an on-line audience which insists I keep playing in the kitchen developing recipes that are not only gluten-free, but often dairy-free (and those voracious vegan readers- they're sprouting up everywhere these days, not to mention the increasing number of devoted mothers writing in daily to request soy-free, and nut-free recipes for their food sensitive kiddos) is to experiment.

The challenge for a gluten-free (or wheat-free) vegan is how to create certain flourless and creamy recipes without eggs. The answer- in every vegan cookbook I've ever perused- is tofu. Vegan cooks love their tofu- tofu custards, tofu ice cream, tofu pumpkin pies, tofu stuffed lasagna. Tofu works. It lends an egg-free recipe body and silkiness. But what if- like so many of us ingredient challenged individuals- you are allergic to soy? What then? Then, my friend, tofu is no magic bullet. Tofu is the enemy. In fact, I am sorry to tell you, tofu sucks.

What if, I started to imagine, I melted Belgian dark chocolate and tweaked my pumpkin pie to turn it into a flourless chocolate cake? (See how my fevered little associative thinking brain works?) I could use pumpkin for the eggs/tofu. Why not?

So send me a kiss when you've baked this chocolaty confection. And most of all, be sure to kiss the one you love. Young and old. Seasoned and brand new. Straight, gay and in between. Celebrate love in all its generous forms this Valentine's Day.

And don't forget to love yourself.

Because that, Babycakes, is where the seed of true love begins to grow.

READ MORE and get the recipe ...