Chocolate Eggplant Cake With Brown Butter Eggplant Ice Cream, Blackberry Lemon Verbena Compote, Brown Butter Powder, Fresh Blackberries, and Lemon Verbena Leaves

For the Ice Cream

• Add the eggplant, butter, and allulose to a large pan and cook, stirring often until completely soft and golden. The butter will take on a nutty smell, about 15 minutes.
• Transfer to a blender, add remaining ice cream ingredients except heavy cream, and blend until completely smooth. Once blended, whisk in the heavy cream. Cool completely and then pour into an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s directions. When churned, transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze until completely set, at least 4 hours. 

For the Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line an 8-inch baking pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the parchment and walls of the pan with avocado oil, set aside. Alternatively, lightly grease a 12-cup silicon muffin form and set aside (or use silicon baking forms – no need to grease these – I like to use various shape forms and then freeze the cakes in these before turning them out for plating).
• Steam the eggplant in a steamer basket over boiling water until completely tender, about 20 minutes. (Alternatively, microwave the eggplant, covered in a microwave safe bowl for about 10-12 minutes, or until completely tender.)
• Add the hot eggplant to a blender along with the chocolate. Let stand a couple minutes to help the chocolate melt and then blend until completely smooth. Let cool for a few minutes (until you can comfortably hold the side of the blender – to prevent scrambling the eggs). Add the allulose, stevia, cocoa powder, almond flour, eggs, baking powder, and salt. Blend again until smooth and then transfer the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake at 350ºF for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is set but there is a slight wobble to the cake (15 minutes or so for the muffin tin). Cool completely before turning the cake out onto a serving plate. If you baked the cakes in silicon forms, freeze them overnight and then turn out and let thaw for 15 minutes before serving.

For the Brown Butter Dust

• Add the butter to a small pan or pot with a light color bottom (this will allow you to see when the butter solids have turned golden). I like to brown at least a cup of butter at a time and I freeze whatever I don’t use for easy use in the future – add the remaining browned butter to a ziplock and lay it flat on a baking tray. Freeze solid and then store.) Cook over medium heat until the butter smells nutty and the solids in the butter have turned a light golden color.
• Weigh out the tapioca maltodextrin and place it into a large bowl. Pour the browned butter on top and whisk until evenly distributed. Store in an airtight container (any water will cause the powder to dissolve, leaving you with a slurry). Will keep refrigerated for up to a month or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

For the Compote

• Put all the compote ingredients into a small saucepan and bring to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes, until syrupy. Set aside to cool completely.

To Serve

• Spoon a bit of blackberry sauce onto each serving plate (I like to run a spoon or brush through it in a circle pattern). Place chocolate cake on top, spoon more berry sauce by the cake. Spoon powdered brown butter onto the plate as base for the ice cream. Add a scoop of ice cream to the top of the brown butter powder. Garnish with fresh blackberries, lemon verbena, and flowers, if using.

• Add the eggplant, butter, and allulose to a large pan and cook, stirring often until completely soft and golden. The butter will take on a nutty smell, about 15 minutes.
• Transfer to a blender, add remaining ice cream ingredients except heavy cream, and blend until completely smooth. Once blended, whisk in the heavy cream. Cool completely and then pour into an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s directions. When churned, transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze until completely set, at least 4 hours.