Fresh Mint & Dark Chocolate Chunk Cake

Edible flowers: golden marigold and purple pansies

Do you need a reason to eat cake?

Maybe you have a chocolate craving.  Could be that the rain spoiled your plans of biking around the city.  Could be that your husband has a sweet tooth at the moment and is digging through cupboards looking for something worthwhile to eat.

Dark Chocolate and Grapefruit Mint

Perhaps you have an abundance of mint in your garden.

There is something special happening on a rooftop in Helsinki:  high above the sea in Ruoholahti neighborhood, on the roof of the old cable factory, there is a rooftop garden.  From the rooftop, you can look out across the sea toward Lauttasaari, watch the sailboats and the big ships come and go, and escape just a little from the humdrum of the city from inside this “Secret Garden”. The conditions in this garden are much like those in the archipelago:  with high winds to dry out and stir the plant tops into a frenzy, colder than usual temperatures, and an isolated position.  Way up there, Slow Food Helsinki built a garden, where everything to allow plants to grow, from pallets to raised garden frames to growing bags to soil were all hauled up piece by piece to the roof.  Some things didn’t like their new home at all.  The basil died. The citrus grass wilted and faded quickly.  The pumpkins were put out too early and were not at all happy with the transition.

Happy Rainy Day. Or Happy Any Day.

But the potatoes are flourishing in their grow bags.  We have edible flowers on the roof:  golden mini marigold and bold purple pansies are just some of these.  The dill, chives, sage, thyme, rosemary and lavender are pushing up further and faster everyday as the weather warms.   And the mint?  Ah – the mint.  The mint, as with mint in every garden, is preparing itself to conquer the world.  As soon its roots were buried into the soil, the mint:  Moroccan Mint, Spearmint, Peppermint, Grapefruit Mint and Licorice Mint – started setting out feeder roots that are soon going to fill the bed into which they have been placed.

There are worse problems to have than an abundance of mint!  This cake is just the beginning of what you can do with it.

Today is Father’s Day in America.  Perhaps if my father were living and I were home, I could serve him this cake.  My niece just graduated from the University of Washington – home of the Huskies and purple and gold.  I could serve her this cake in celebration.  My husband and I are at home watching the   rain fall and the fog move across the pine and spruce outside our window, and we are eating this cake as we enjoy quality time together.

I don’t need any special reason to eat cake.  I decided long ago that one doesn’t need a special day or occasion to make something nice to enjoy.   Life, I say, is not good just because of a few, big great things.  Life is amazing because of all of the special little things we have to smile about.

And right now, I am smiling at this cake.

Fresh Mint and Dark Chocolate Chunk Cake

Preheat oven to 200° C / 400° F.  Grease two 8″ round cake pans with olive oil, and line each one with a piece of parchment paper cut to fit, or, alternatively, dust with flour to coat, tipping out any excess flour.

In a bowl combine with a fork:
3/4 cup / 1,5 dl almond flour
3/4 cup / 1,5 dl spelt flour
3/4 cup / 1,5 dl wheat flour
3/4 cup / 1,5 dl sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt

In another small bowl combine:
3 eggs, beaten
1 cup / 2 dl whole milk
3/4 cup / 1,5 dl olive oil

Pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture and combine until just mixed.  Add:

3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint
100 g / 9 oz dark chocolate (60%), roughly chopped small chunks

Stir until chocolate and mint are incorporated into the batter.  Pour into prepared baking tins.  Bake for 20 minutes or until top is golden brown and a toothpick or knife inserted come out clean.

Cool at least 15 minutes before serving.  Makes two 8″ round cakes.

Note:  I used a mixture of four mints, but any mint will work well here.  For the strongest mint flavor, choose Peppermint or Moroccan Mint.