Current Craving
With January’s pesky resolutions just around the corner, December is clearly the time for unapologetic decadence and indulgence.
When I think of holiday treats, I think of chocolate (or bourbon–but that’s another story). And when I want chocolate, I will likely choose cake: a dark, rich confection that melts in the mouth and isn’t too sweet. Now, ordinary baking chocolate can be found in any old grocery store. But a dream-worthy cake–the kind you talk about for days afterwards–requires better. When you want to elevate a chocolate cake–to give it power and depth–you need to look a little further for that main ingredient that really stands out.
Vancouver Island boasts a number of excellent chocolate providers. Since I’m in Victoria, my own search led me to Sirene Chocolate for a number of reasons. Sirene chocolate contains only two ingredients: cocoa beans and sugar. There are no fillers, so nothing to mask that pure cocoa flavour.
“I choose my beans specifically for their flavour quality as opposed to the bulk commodity cocoa beans industrial chocolate is made of,” says Sirene’s founder and artisan chocolate maker Taylor Kennedy. “It’s kind of like the difference between a January grocery store tomato and an August farmer's market freshly picked tomato. They are entirely different categories in terms of quality.”
Would I like to make my chocolate cake with this sort of pure, decadent and thoughtfully chosen cocoa bean? Yes, please!
Kind and quiet, Kennedy loves his craft and knows his farmers. He’s visited them in Ecuador, Tanzania, Guatemala and Peru and ensures workers are treated well. “If I’m going to grow as a chocolate maker, then I’d like to be sure that the men and women who so skilfully farm the cocoa beans will flourish along with me.”
That attention to detail and commitment to caring humanity means a lot to me and makes my dream-cake taste even sweeter. You may recognize Sirene as the yellow-packaged, gold-embossed bar found in many shops all over Canada. Sirene now sells baking chocolate and cocoa powder online at sirenechocolate.com. Follow on social: @sirenechocolate
This cake was inspired by a Food & Wine recipe and modified to ensure as much Sirene chocolate as possible! The cake is dark, dense and moist and the icing is rich and not too sweet. Eating it without icing is completely acceptable, although even a thin layer perfectly complements the crumb. I used Sirene 70% chocolate from Ecuador. Feel free to use your favorite.
