It looks like a simple mix of chocolate, eggs and butter, but celebrity cook Maggie Beer says her new cake can do wonders for brain health.
The food icon has teamed up with a professor of neurobiology, Ralph Martins, to release a new cookbook full of recipes they believe can help reduce the chance of developing Alzheimer's.
[Just want the chocolate cake recipe?]
"I've learnt so much more from Ralph about these choices," Ms Beer told News Breakfast.
"It's having every choice being a good choice, which allows indulgences too by the way — what would we be without it?"
It is estimated 340,000 Australians are currently living with Alzheimer's and that the figure will jump to more than 400,000 by 2020.
Professor Martins is the Foundation Chair in Ageing and Alzheimer's Disease at Edith Cowan University, and said his research showed certain foods work to reduce or slow the progression of the condition.
"We've been following 1,100 Australians for the last 10 years and we clearly see that a particular protein that we know is very toxic for the brain that causes Alzheimer's, amyloid, its levels are markedly reduced if they adhere very strongly to the Mediterranean diet," he said.
"You want to avoid eating the sugary foods, particularly the fizzy drinks, sugar hidden in processed foods, and particular trans fats."
The new book, Maggie's Recipe for Life, contains 200 recipes ranging from starters to mains and deserts.
The proceeds from its sale will be shared between the Maggie Beer Foundation and the Lions Alzheimer's Research Foundation.
And Ms Beer promises the food is actually tasty, not just good for mental health.
"Nobody wants to eat worthy food that tastes like cardboard," she said.
Chocolate cloud cake with nut cream and rose petals
Ingredients
350g good-quality dark chocolate
(70% cocoa solids), broken into pieces
50g unsalted butter
2 tablespoons raw honey
10 free-range eggs, at room temperature, separated
Pinch of sea salt flakes
Organic fresh rose petals, to decorate (optional)
Nut cream
200ml whipping cream
1/2 cup mint leaves, finely chopped
100g pure nut butter
Directions
Preheat the oven to 150C fan-forced. Grease and line 2 x 20 cm spring form tins.
Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl placed over a saucepan of just-simmering water (don't let the bottom of the bowl touch the water). Remove from the heat, stir in the honey and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff peaks form.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks until thick and pale. Slowly whisk in the chocolate mixture until just combined. Fold in one third of the egg whites, then ever so lightly, fold in the remaining whisked whites. (It is important to work quickly and not let the chocolate butter mixture get cold or it will set.)
Divide the batter between the prepared tins. Bake for 25 minutes or until a skewer withdraws clean. Remove from the oven and stand on a wire rack until completely cooled.
To make the nut cream, beat the cream in a large bowl until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, combine the mint, nut butter and a small amount of the whipped cream. Gently fold in the remaining cream.
To assemble, place one of the cakes on a serving plate and spread half the nut cream over the top, leaving a 2cm border. Place the remaining cake on top and spread with the remaining cream. Scatter with rose petals, if using.
Nutrition
The good news is that dark chocolate is rich in polyphenol antioxidants, particularly catechins and procyanidins, and these have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties that are good for your blood vessels. Chocolate also provides some iron, manganese and magnesium.
Extracted from Maggie's Recipe for Life by Maggie Beer with Professor Ralph Martins, published by Simon & Schuster Australia.