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Recipe Detail Page
Pecan Dark Chocolate Olive Oil Mini Upside-Down Cakes
Autumn 2015
Pop these decadent minis into the oven justas you sit down to the main course; that waythey’ll be warm and tender at dessert time.If baked in pretty ramekins or mini soufflémoulds, they travel well and don’t need tobe flipped over. Serve with a scoop of vanillaice cream or dollop of whipped cream. Thisrecipecan be made with 100 percent almondflour for a gluten-free treat, though the texturewill be more like a baked pudding than cakeand won’t tolerate being unmoulded.
Makes 12 to 14 mini cakes
⅓ cup (80 mL) olive oil, divided, for the ramekins
½ cup (125 mL) maple syrup or treacle, divided
1 cup (250 mL) more or less, pecan halves
or pieces
½ cup plus 1 tbsp (125 mL plus 15 mL)
unsweetened cocoa
½ cup (125 mL) boiling water
2 tsp (10 mL) almond extract
¾ cup (175 mL) almond flour (ground almonds)
¾ cup (175 mL) all-purpose flour
½ tsp (2 mL) baking soda
½ tsp (2 mL) sea salt
1 cup (250 mL) sugar
⅔ cup (150 mL) olive oil
3 free-range eggs
½ cup (125 mL) coarsely chopped
maraschino cherries
1 Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C). Butter or coat with nonstick spray the sides of individual ½-cup (125-mL) ramekins or mini soufflé dishes.
2 To each ramekin, add about 1 tsp (5 mL) olive oil and about 2 tsp (10 mL) maple syrup. Add the pecans—arrange neatly or randomly—to cover the bottoms. Set aside in a large roasting pan.
3 Put the kettle on to boil, and while you wait, set a sieve over a medium bowl. Measure the cocoa powder into the sieve, shake and press it through with the back of a spoon, crushing any lumps.
4 When the kettle boils, whisk the water into the cocoa to make a smooth, almost runny paste. Whisk in the almond extract and set aside.
5 In a medium bowl, mix the flours, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
6 In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in large bowl with hand mixer), add the sugar, olive oil and eggs and beat on medium-high until the mixture becomes pale yellow and well-aerated, about 3 minutes.
7 Reduce the speed to medium, and add the cocoa paste as you beat. Use a rubber spatula to get all the precious cocoa out of the bowl and into the oil mixture!
8 Add the dry mixture and continue to beat on medium-high to high for about a minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and stir in any unblended ingredients, and the chopped cherries. Spoon into the prepared ramekins.
9 Pour some kettle water into the roasting pan—fill to about halfway up the ramekins.
10 Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out mostly clean. The top of the cake may still be slightly wet looking in the centre.
11 To serve, either tip out onto dessert plates, upside-down cake style, or serve in the ramekins—surprise-at-the-bottom style—and don’t forget a scoop of vanilla ice cream!
Makes 12 to 14 mini cakes
