*Almost* Flour-Less Chocolate Cake

Lately, I’ve been playing with sugar. Muscovado sugar. And doing my homework too. 

Pretty much everyone these days has gotten wind of the fact that processed food, especially ultra-refined white sugar, is terrible for you. I was a little late getting the memo. I spent the better part of my twenties chowing on low-fat junk food and slurping splenda-sweetened coffee, which I imagine is probably even worse than sugar. Then one day I picked up a copy of Michael Pollan’s book, In Defense of Food, and wised up to the state of things. Nowadays, I do my best to avoid processed foods, limit my sugar intake and drink my coffee with just a splash of soy milk. Don’t get me wrong. You won’t catch me cutting sugar out completely. Life is way too short for that! I just try to curb the mindless grazing and make my sweets count. It doesn't always happen, but I try.

Except for a few recipes, I substitute raw sugar whenever something needs a little sweetening. That was, until I caught wind of another option: Muscovado sugar. Dark brown with an incredibly rich flavor, muscovado sugar has got to be what brown sugar used to be before someone dreamed up the clever idea of simply coloring refined white sugar with drops of molasses. Muscovado sugar is made exclusively from reduced sugarcane juice, which solidifies as it dries. Since it is entirely unrefined, it retains all of the nutrients found in sugar cane and is especially high in calcium, iron, minerals and potassium.

I’ve been sampling it around the kitchen, dabbing it on berries (so good!) and spooning it on oatmeal (my current breakfast of choice), with much success. I’d read that muscovado sugar was especially tasty in baked goods, so I decided to take it for a spin to see what I was working with. I gave it the master test and made a chocolate cake. And not just any chocolate cake, mind you. The richest chocolate cake I’ve come across yet: Molly Wizenberg’s Winning Hearts and Mind Cake. This cake is really quite something. Chocolately as all get out. So chocolatey that it doesn't even need anything else, not frosting, ganache or even a dusting of powdered sugar. Smooth and almost creamy, it holds its own all by itself. That was before. I really didn’t really think it was possible to improve upon something so delicious but I stand corrected. Subbing in muscovado sugar lent the cake a deeper flavor, which made it all the more decadent a treat.  If you’re in the mood to play with some sugar yourself, I highly recommend giving muscovado sugar a try (especially with this cake!)

(Note: Click colored text for the recipe and other information)