Gluten Free Flourless Chocolate Hazelnut Nutella Cake

Piggies! WOW! Are you are in for a treat this month! Or many treats, I should say as this is "Gluten Free Baking With KitchenAid" month in celebration of our April Giveaway - a KitchenAid 7-qt bowl-lift residential stand mixer valued at $549! As I will be attending the first Nourished Gluten Free Food Bloggers Conference and the Gluten and Allergy Free Expo in Chicago this month, I thought it only fitting that I celebrate "All things Gluten Free." So, I thought to myself, what better way to do this than to team up with over thirty gluten free bloggers and share a gluten free treat a day that can be made in the phenomenal KitchenAid stand mixers? 

Now, those you who have been following me for a while are well acquainted with my love affair with the KitchenAid stand mixers. I have had extensive experience using my 5 qt and 6 qt machines, but I had never used the bowl-lift stand mixers. When KitchenAid offered to send me the 7-qt bowl-lift "Red Goddess" a.k.a "Mother Of All Stand Mixers" as part of this giveaway, I had to roll my tongue off of the floor and compose myself before politely accepting the offer and trying not to drool over my computer! When the Red Goddess showed up on my doorstep it was love at first sight, and we have been culinary partners in crime all week as I have been giving my new prize a gluten free workout making all of the recipes I am going to feature this month. 

I didn't think the best stand mixer on the planet could get any better! But the 7-qt bowl-lift residential until exceeded my expectations in spectacular fashion. This is, hands down, the most powerful stand mixer I have ever used in my entire life! AND...it is SO quiet! I can hardly belive it! The all-metal, precise gear design makes it more efficient with less noise than any other stand mixer I have used. The rest of the unit is built for optimal durability and function as well. The 1.3 horsepower motor means the machine can run longer and doesn't heat up as fast, the heavy metal knobs are solid and easy to use, and the 2-coat finish on the body of the unit and the high polish stainless steel bowl and handle make this machine not only solid, but look GORGEOUS. 

But the functionality of this machine is the real selling point. The ten speeds ranging from very slow stirring to very high beating gave me greater control over my mixing and whisking, which, in turn, gave me more confidence with my gluten free baking. NOTHING beats egg whites to soft or hard peaks like this machine! Did you know that the professional whip with eleven stainless steel wires operates 33% better than regular whips for better aeration of the egg whites and creams. Furthermore, the action of the machine allows the attachments to spin independently while making continual rotations around the bowl for even mixing. I hardly had to use my spatula! I also LOVE the plastic splash guard that keeps everything in the bowl while mixing, and makes adding ingredients like flours a breeze with less mess. LOVE LOVE LOVE KitchenAid designers! 

The other AMAZING thing about the 7-qt stand mixer is the extra-large capacity of the bowl! I tested what I thought was an outrageous claim of 8 1/2 pounds of mashed potatoes the other night for a dinner party, and was delightedly humbled. The stand mixer made the fluffiest creamiest vegan mashed potatoes I have ever had in my life! All 8 1/2 pounds of it! LOL! I felt like Cinderella peeling the potatoes, but the results were sublime! After such success, I couldn't stop! I got quite cocky and locked myself in the kitchen to make 14 dozen cookies. I was hurling cookies at everybody who came to the house for a week...including the UPS guy! But nobody was complaining, and the Red Goddess was up to the task! I made bread in it today, and it was just so easy!  I only made two loaves, but it can hold up to 8 1/2 loaves! 

The coolest thing about this machine is that with all of the attachments, it is a ONE STOP SHOP for culinary pleasure! It is the only kitchen machine I can think of that makes the transition from kitchen to table with grace and style! The Red Goddess was the guest of honour at my "Red and White" brunch last week, where I placed her in the middle of the table and made fresh mimosas with the citrus juicer attachment. Not only was it novel, it looked wonderful and was FUN! I actually can't claim credit for this fabulous idea. I stole it from The White on Rice Couple! They did this for their KitchenAid Bloggers Party that I attended in Orange County last month. It was fabulous!

Another cool idea is to make homemade ice cream with the ice cream attachment at a party by placing the stand mixer on the table and allowing people to create their own flavour. Try using the food grinder, rotary slicer,  fruit and vegetable strainer, or pasta and ravioli maker attachments to see how truly versatile this incredible machine is. I could literally go on and on professing my undying love for The Red Goddess! KitchenAid is confident too - backing her up with a "No Hassle" Two Year Replacement Warranty. You can, of course, purchase this machine in black, white, or silver. But MY kitchen goddess will always be red! So enter the giveaway or start saving up for this KitchenAid 7-qt bowl-lift stand mixer. It is pure culinary genius! I couldn't live without mine now!

So, let's get onto the FUN! Let's start with the first "Gluten Free Baking With KitchenAid" recipe: my gluten free flourless chocolate hazelnut "nutella" cake. I can't claim full credit for this showstopping recipe, I actually modified it from the recipe collection of my favourite chef, the exquisite Nigella Lawson, who brought sex back into the kitchen in a classy and fun way. This little treat is a SHOWSTOPPER and would have to be one of the most incredible gluten free cakes I have ever tasted in my life. Of course I am going to say that about most of Nigella Lawson's inspired recipes. However, I have served this up to many happy snouts who proudly declare that this is sheer piggy heaven - a stunner, a winner, and not to be missed!

I first sampled a bite of this heavenly cake, along with Nigella's damp lemon and almond cake when my dear friend Zoe made it for one of our famous feasts with Kris and Beth, where we were all grabbing for another piece with one hand, and wiping the drool from our chins with the other! My gluten free blend of this Nigella recipe has been adapted from her phenomenal cookbook - How To Be A Domestic Goddess. If you don't have a copy of this book - get one! It is ALWAYS my first stop for a delectable dessert recipe. When I got the publishing permission from Hyperion and Ms. Lawson herself, I was tickled to bits! 

Instead of using a jar of nutella in this recipe, I made homemade chocolate hazelnut spread using the Elana's Pantry recipe. Elana Amsterdam is one of my favourite gluten free bloggers, and this healthier nutella recipe is quick and easy. Thanks Elana! The rest of the recipe is pretty self explanatory. Just make sure you don't over mix or over beat the egg whites, gently gently fold in the egg whites and chocolate into the mixture. I will warn you that this cake is DEADLY ADDICTIVE! It is also VERY RICH! A little goes a long way! But that won't stop you from grabbing for another and another and another bite of what I can only describe as a slice of gluten free chocolate piggy heaven! Oinkedy Oink! 

"Gluten Free Baking With KitchenAid" has officially begun! Hang on piggies! We might all be the size of the houses by the end of the month, but we will be rolling around with smiles on our snouts!

I am excited!!! Can't wait to hear what you think of this cake. :)

*Note: I did not receive payment to host this event. However, I did receive giveaway product for the winner.