Black Garlic Chocolate Cake for #NationalGarlicDay

Calling all garlic lovers! 

Do you know what today is?!?

Welcome to National Garlic Day 2015, hosted by Heather from girlichef. April 19th is a day for garlic lovers far and wide to come together and celebrate the wonder of "the stinking rose".

Whether it's the ability to ward off vampires (and bugs), its numerous health benefits, or the way it lends flavor to a dish, there are so many reasons for singing the praises of garlic.

Okay, so if you've been following me for awhile, you'll know that I typcially go with a savory recipe for any cooking challenge. Almost. Every. Single. Time.

So, for this post - #NationalGarlicDay hosted by Heather at girlichef - you might be wondering why am I sharing a dessert? It's garlic...that automatically means savory, doesn't it?

Well, that's how I roll. I'm a maverick that way; I love the unexpected.

I wanted to use black garlic (click to read about it) because it has a softer, less pronounced garlic flavor. It's fabulously distinct.

I did have a little ingredient snafu when our local Trader Joe's told me that they no longer carried black garlic. "It didn't sell well," the greengrocer admitted. Whaaaat?!!? I also struck out at Whole Foods and a local Asian market. Thank goodness for the internet. Eureka! I included a link at the bottom of this post if you can't find any locally.

To help you get in the mood, check out these garlicky good recipes from this year's National Garlic Day bloggers:

• Black Garlic Chocolate Cake from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic from My Catholic Kitchen
• Epic Garlic Bread from Shockingly Delicious
• Garlic and White Bean Hummus from Kelli's Kitchen
• Garlic Lovers Focaccia with Shallots and Sweet Corn from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Garlic-Parmesan Chicken Stuffed Shells for Two from The Spiffy Cookie
• Garlicky Chard Stuffed Flank Steak from girlichef
• Garlicky Lobster Crab Scampi from Food Lust People Love
• Garlicky Rib Eye Steak with Garlic Bruschetta from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• IPA Pickles from NY Foodgasm
• Lebanese Garlic Sauce from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Louisiana Garlic Bread from Wishes and Dishes
• Ricotta, Garlic and Mushroom Flatbread Pizza from Simply Healthy Family
• Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Hummus from From Gate to Plate
• Roasted Garlic Cauliflower from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Roasted Garlic Gruyère Pull-Apart Bread from Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen
• Spicy Garlic Noodles with Pork from Healthy Delicious

Now back to my cake..."Mommy, what's the secret ingredient?" the Enthusiastic Kitchen Elf asked.  Shhhhh...

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 C butter + more for greasing pan
• ⅓ C organic cacao powder* (I used Dagoba)
• 1 C water
• 2 C  flour
• 1½ C organic granulated sugar
• 1½ t baking soda
• 2 large eggs
• ½ C sour cream
• 1 t pure vanilla extract
• 3 cloves black garlic*, peeled and mashed to a paste

Mango-Ginger Sauce

• 3 C mango chunks (I had some frozen ones)
• 1½ T ginger spread*
• ½ C organic granulated sugar
• ½ C water
• chocolate shavings for garnish

Procedure

Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter the bundt pan. And set aside.

In a medium saucepan, combine butter, cocoa powder, and water. Heat until butter is melted. Stir to combine. Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and baking soda. Gradually pour in the chocolate mixture, whisking constantly smooth. Add the eggs - one at a time - whisking until combined. Fold in the sour cream, vanilla extract, and mashed black garlic until smooth.

Pour the batter into your prepared bundt pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the tallest part comes out clean, approximately 45 to 50 minutes.

Place pan on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto the wire rack and let it cool completely. While the cake cools. Make the sauce. First a note about the sauce. I put out the question on social media: "Chocolate + ________________ [fruit sauce]. Go!!" My friends came up with some great suggestions that I have shelved for another day. For this cake, though, I opted for a mango-ginger sauce.

Mango-Ginger Sauce

Place all of the ingredients - except the chocolate shavings - in a medium sauce pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Cook until it comes to a chunky jam consistency. You can mash it with a potato masher if you like it more smooth. Cool slightly. This sauce is best served warm, in a dollop, on top of your chocolate cake. To serve, top the cake and sauce with chocolate shavings.

*This blog currently has a partnership with Amazon.com in their affiliate program, which gives me a small percentage of sales if you buy a product through a link on my blog. I will only recommend products that I have used and loved...not for any compensation unless otherwise noted in the blog post. If you are uncomfortable with this, feel free to go directly to Amazon.com and search for the item on your own.