Home

Chocolate and Pomegranate Cake

17/11/2023

The combination of chocolate and pomegranate is a union of taste and freshness. Here’s the recipe for an Italian-style chocolate and pomegranate cake:

Ingredients

  • 200 g of dark chocolate
  • 100 g of butter
  • 150 g of sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 70 g of flour
  • 1/2 a packet of baking powder
  • 1 large pomegranate
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • Icing sugar (optional, for decorating)

Preparation

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F).
  2. Melt the dark chocolate in a bain-marie or in the microwave and let cool slightly.
  3. In a bowl, cream the soft butter with the sugar until light and fluffy.
  4. Separate the yolks from the whites. Add the yolks one at a time to the butter and sugar mixture, mixing well after each addition.
  5. Incorporate the melted chocolate into the mixture of butter, sugar, and eggs.
  6. Add the sifted flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt, mixing gently until the dough is uniform.
  7. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold them gently into the mixture, using a spatula and movements from top to bottom to avoid deflating them.
  8. Peel the pomegranate, retrieve the kernels and free them from the white membranes. Add about 2/3 of the kernels to the batter, saving some for the decoration.
  9. Pour the batter into a previously buttered and floured cake pan.
  10. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
  11. Let the cake cool before unmolding it.
  12. Decorate with the remaining pomegranate kernels and, if desired, a light dusting of icing sugar.

Curiosity

The pomegranate is a fruit rich in meaning within the Mediterranean culture, symbolizing prosperity and fertility. In Italian cuisine, it is often used to add a touch of freshness and color, especially in the colder months when the fruit is in season.

If you wish to pair a wine with this dessert, I would suggest a Passito di Pantelleria, whose sweet notes and slightly acidic aftertaste perfectly complement the sweetness of chocolate and the freshness of pomegranate.