Chocolate-Kahlua Cake with Strawberry-Kiwi Salsa

I know its quite a mouthful (pun intended) but this is the most delicate and savory dessert I have ever eaten. If you have been following my blog (@ http://dough-re-me.blogspot.com/) then you know I am all about quick, easy, healthy and flavorful food. That said, this is for a special Valentines segment so I went all out with a rich and decadent dessert in a heart shape. It would be simpler to make this in a round or square shape because it makes handling a little easier. It is not at all hard to make just very fragile so please handle it with love and be as gentle as you can. I was about to break the whole thing apart while transferring it to the cake dish but got lucky so here it is...Phew...

RECIPE: Chocolate-Kahlua Cake with Strawberry-Kiwi Salsa
(Adapted from Food Network)
Ingredients
For Cake:
2 sticks Unsalted butter
8 Oz Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
7 Egg Yolks
5 Egg Whites
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Almonds, sliced and lightly toasted
Cajeta or any Caramel Sauce or Topping
For Strawberry-Kiwi Salsa:
1 Pint Strawberries
1 lime, juiced
2-3 Tbsp Sugar
8-10 Mint leaves, stacked, rolled and cut into fine strips (pictures below)


Method
For the Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree F and grease a heart shape or 9-inch round cake pan.
2. In the top of a double boiler on low heat, melt butter and semi-sweet chocolate chips till you have a smooth mixture.
3. Whip up the egg yolks and sugar until pale and fluff.
4. Fold in the chocolate-butter mixture with the egg yolk-sugar mix and add the coffee liquer.
5. Whip your egg whites till soft peaks form and very gently fold into the chocolate mixture.
6. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35-45 minutes.
7. Allow it to cool completely before you turn it out of the pan.
8. Once cool pour the warmed caramel on the cake and press the almont pieces all over it.

For Strawberry-Kiwi Salsa:

1. In a blender puree half the strawberries with juicce from 1 lime and 2 Tbsp sugar. Strain it and keep the smooth puree to the side.
2. Cut the remainder strawberries into quarters and the Kiwi into same sized pieces as the strawberries.
3. Chop up the mint leaves into very thin ribbons called a chiffonade (process below)
4. Mix it all up and serve with the cake slices.

Step-by-step process,
For the Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350 degree F and grease a heart shape or 9-inch round cake pan.

In the top of a double boiler on low heat, melt butter and semi-sweet chocolate chips till you have a smooth mixture.

Whip up the egg yolks and sugar until pale and fluff.

Fold in the chocolate-butter mixture with the egg yolk-sugar mix and add the coffee liquer.

Whip your egg whites till soft peaks form and very gently fold into the chocolate mixture.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 35-45 minutes.

Allow it to cool completely before you turn it out of the pan.

Once cool pour the warmed caramel on the cake and press the almont pieces all over it.

For Strawberry-Kiwi Salsa:

In a blender puree half the strawberries with juice from 1 lime and 2 Tbsp sugar. Strain it and keep the smooth puree to the side.

Cut the remainder strawberries into quarters and the Kiwi into same sized pieces as the strawberries. Chop up the mint leaves into very thin ribbons called a chiffonade.

Mix it all up and serve with the cake slices.

Enjoy!!!