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Chocolate-Tahini Molten Cakes (plant-based) This recipe is based on a recipe from my first cookbook, Small Plates & Sweet Treats, which uses almond butter, beets, and eggs. I have been asked to experiment a bit more in plant-based baking as many of you are following a vegan lifestyle or simply are allergic to eggs. I thought this would be a fairly straight-forward recipe to adapt replacing the eggs with aquafaba. Aquafaba (bean water) is the liquid that remains after cooking beans, most commonly, chickpeas. Other beans can also be used, but chickpea water is the lightest in color and when whipped, remains white resembling meringue. As a ratio, about 3 tablespoons of aquafaba equal one egg. A can of chickpeas will yield about 1/2 cup of aquafaba. The leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week. Aquafaba whips nicely incorporating air similarly to eggs, which is why it works in cake recipes like this one. Aquafaba takes longer to whip than eggs, so don’t be alarmed if they still look pretty soft after beating for 5 minutes on high speed. It might take up 10 minutes to reach soft peaks. In case you are wondering, there is no bean flavor in this cake although I did notice it when making baked meringues. A few notes about this recipe. - This is a rich cake. 8-ounce ramekins make A LOT of cake and I would even say it’s perfect for sharing with another person. If you’d like an individual serving, 4-ounce would be perfect. - Make sure the aquafaba is at room temperature or the chocolate will seize up quickly when added into the batter. - I note to pulverize your coconut sugar. You can do this in a blender or food processor. It is not indispensable but it does help the aquafaba maintain the incorporated air better. You can also use superfine white sugar or pulverize natural cane sugar. Again, not mandatory but does help with aeration . - If you don’t have tahini, you can use almond butter, unsalted butter, vegan butter, or coconut oil. - The listed baking time is for 8-ounce ramekins. If using smaller vessels, reduce baking time. This is a recipe that you want to keep a close eye on. It can range from very liquid center to completely baked in a couple of minutes. For 4-ounce ramekins, bake for 7 minutes and then keep an eye on how it continues to bake. For 8-ounce ramekins, start checking around 8 to 9 minutes. I personally like about 50% baked cake and 50% liquid center, which takes about 11 minutes, but again, it varies depending on oven and vessel dimensions. Makes two 8-ounce cakes Plant-based butter, coconut oil or olive oil, for greasing Cacao powder, for dusting 6 ounces (170 g) 70% chocolate, finely chopped 1/4 cup (60 g) well-stirred tahini 1/2 cup (110 g) aquafaba, room temperature 1/4 cup (50 g) coconut sugar, pulverized* (see headnote) 2 tablespoons (18 g) superfine brow rice flour or buckwheat flour 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1. Preheat oven to 425F. Grease the inside or your ramekins with butter, then dust with cocoa powder. Dust off excess. 2. Melt the chocolate and tahini in a medium bowl placed over a pot of simmering water. 3. In a bowl of a stand mixer, whip the aquafaba on high speed until soft peaks form. This will take about 5 to 7 minutes so be patient. Reduce speed to medium and slowly sprinkle the sugar into the aquafaba while beating in between additions. Increase speed to high again. And whip for another minute. 4. Turn off the mixer and pour in the melted chocolate mixture, flour and salt. Whip the batter for another minute on high speed. The batter should be thick, glossy, and pourable consistency. 5. Divide the batter into the prepared molds. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes until the outer edges begin to crack and feel set but the inside is still soft. Do not overbake them. Serve the cakes warm.
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