The Ultimate Healthiest Fluffiest Chocolate Cake Ever (probably!)
I'm a sucker for chocolate and I have a massive sweet tooth, hence the name of this blog, and whilst I've made plenty of chocolaty treats over the years... I hands down legitimately think this is the best of the lot!
I first made this cake towards the beginning of lockdown and ever since, I've been meaning to get it on the blog.
Today I have just made it for the seventh time (at least, I've lost count!) since I used a can of chickpeas last night, and so had the brine sitting in the fridge ready. So I figured I really must get this on the blog for you asap. Until now, I've been working with scribbled notes in my notepad the whole time.
I'm a sucker for chocolate and I have a massive sweet tooth, hence the name of this blog, and whilst I've made plenty of chocolaty treats over the years... I hands down legitimately think this is the best of the lot!
Yup seriously, I've made it almost every single week since the end of April.
Everyone I've shared it with (which to be fair is not that many because, er, lockdown!) has raved about it too.
As I have already implied, the magical ingredient to get a super springy, fluffy and moist crumb is aquafaba, aka chickpea juice! I also love this cake because unlike my chocolate banana brownie bread (which is amazing in it's own right) there is no banana flavour.
So, this one is for the pure chocolate junkies, put your hands up!
(Here’s proof from my phone archives of the multiples times its been made these last few weeks, and if you follow me on IG then you’ll likely have seen me mention it on my stories)
What makes it both healthy yet indulgent?
Well, I add in sweet potato (I have used carrot too, either is great) which assists with the moisture and texture, yet doesn't impart any noticeable flavour. Plus the bonus is that you get a boost of veggie goodness in the cake.
For the size of the cake, it's pretty low fat and relatively low sugar too. The sources of sugar I do use are unrefined versions.
Seriously... This is probably been my best lockdown creation. It does not taste in the last bit healthy.
So if you can't already tell, I'll just spell it out for you…
YOU. SHOULD. REALLY. MAKE. THIS. CAKE!!
There are a few things you may like to can try to change things up by the second, third… or tenth time you make it.
I really like pressing frozen fruits into the top, and then I like to warm it through and eat it as dessert. But equally, you can leave the fruit off and serve it at room temperature, or try adding nuts or chocolate chips.
Or if you want to go a little bit crazier, instead of the coconut sugar, you could use sugar-free jam to enhance the berry flavour, or why not add some orange juice and/or orange extract for choc-orange vibes.
This last time I made it today I added a little hazelnut extract and I wish I’d had some toasted hazelnuts or walnuts to hand to mix in, but alas I did not. But there’s another idea.
I don't measure ingredients exactly, so this cake is pretty foolproof. You don't need to be super precise - it’s always worked for me. I rarely measure things properly, i’m lazy in that respect and also pretty intuitive… I just seem to know what will work and 9/0 times it does :-)
I haven't tried gluten-free flours but I am pretty sure they'd be a fine as a direct swap. I personally like to use whole wheat spelt flour to add an extra healthier kick, not that you would notice this cake tastes super indulgent. You can also use regular white plain flour.
I like to use a deep brownie tin to bake it in, but you can also use 2 smaller shallower round cake tins or even big muffin cups. The recipe makes quite a sizeable cake so please ensure the pan is not too shallow. This cake will also freeze well if you don't plan to eat it all within a few days.
If you make it, please tag me on Instagram @johodson, I always love to see your creations.
Recipe: The Healthiest Fluffiest Chocolate Cake Ever (probably!)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup aqua faba (chickpea juice is best but other beans work too)
3/4 cup chopped dates
3/4 cup worth of sweet potato
1/2 cup coconut oil (or other mild oil of choice)
1 cup milk of choice
1 tbs apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract (or other flavours such as orange or hazelnut)
1/2 cup coconut sugar (or another sweetener of choice, if using jam/syrup reduce other liquid slightly)
2 cups flour (I use wholemeal spelt)
1 cup cocoa
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 /2 tsp salt
Method:
Whip up the aqua faba until it’s nice and frothy (note: I forgot to do this once and it still worked out fine so don’t worry if you forget this step). To a food processor add the dates, chunks of sweet potato and oil - blitz up until fairly smooth and no large pieces remain.
Spoon the mix into a bowl and add the remaining wet ingredients - apple cider vinegar, milk and vanilla extract and stir through well. Add all remaining dry ingredients and mix well. The mix should now be smooth and thick and ‘blob off’ the mixing spoon.
Line a deep brownie tin or other tin(s) or choice and spoon in the mix. Lightly smooth the top and press in frozen berries (use frozen so they don’t burn) or any toppings of choice.
Bake at 180ºC for approx 20-25 min until a skewer comes out clean.
Allow to cool before slicing and serving.
If you want to try some of my other chocolate creations… have a browse through these, there are all sorts in my archives!
The healthiest ever... carrot, apricot & ginger cake!
It's been a while since I posted a new recipe... I've been busy working on the blog, but more behind the scenes- trying to sort my recipe index out (slow progress!) and also creating a book based on my mindset posts. I have also been coaching a lot more in recent months too and that hs been a priority.
That said I've missed creating sweet things and photography! Last weekend I was feeling in the mood to bake something... and put a post on my personal Facebook page asking what things people wanted 'healthanizing' ... billionaires shortbread got a mention (I'll try and get onto that before xmas) and so did carrot cake.
Well, it just so happens that a few weeks ago I did make a fantastic carrot cake, and the comment prompted me to get it up on the blog! This is a blend of carrot, ginger and apricot for an indulgent twist on the classic. It's super healthy- packed with fruit and veg, minimal processed ingredients and made with oats, I'm pretty sure it could be made entitely gluten free very easily.
The carrot cake may not be particularly festive, but it's still great for a party of a gathering or bookmark it for a springtime treat :-) If you love carrot cake BUT also love chocolate... you should definitely try this chocolate brownie carrot cake!
Final top tip before you go ahead and make it - this cake keeps well for a few days in the fridge, in fact I think it tastes even better the day after it's made- richer and cakier!
Recipe: Carrot, Apricot & Ginger Cake!!
Ingredients:
2tbs flax and 1/4 cup water- mixed
1/4 cup coconut oil- melted
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
1 medium apple- cored
1 tps baking soda
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch salt
1 heaped tsp ginger powder
1 cup finely grated carrot
1 cup fine oatmeal
1/2 cup spelt flour (you could probably sub a GF flour blend)
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
Method:
Blend the flax mix with the melted coconut oil, non-dairy milk and the apple until fully pureed. In a sperate large bowl mix together the dry ingredients then add all wet ingredients plus any remaining ingredients to it, stir through until well mixed.
Spoon batter into two 8" cake pans- the layers will be fairly thin. Bake for approx 30 mins at 180C, loosely cover with foil if tops are browning too quickly. Allow to fully cool before frosting.
Meanwhile, make the frosting:
1/2 cup non-dairy yoghurt
1/2 cup thick coconut milk
1/2 cup melted coconut oil
1 tbs mild syrup
Method: Mix together and then allow to thicken in the fridge.
To decorate (optional), make the balls on top:
1 medium carrot
1 cup dates
1 tbs ground ginger
1/2 cup almond or cashew butter
Method: Blitz together all ingredients in a food processor and then make into balls. If the mix is a little too wet, allow to chill in fridge to firm up before forming.
For some festive foodie vibes... I have a few treats planned for the coming weeks, feel free t leave me your ideas too!
In the meantime, I would love to share with you my top five festive recipes last year, I put them together in a mini book you can find here.
Cake and a Scavenger Hunt... round two at Madhyamaka Meditation Centre
I am writing this on the evening of my final day of my second stay at Madhyamaka Buddhist Meditation Centre (here is the story of my first and in re-reading it again I feel exactly the same this time around). Once again it was a wonderful week of reflection, stillness and mindful duties.
I decided to take time out over my birthday... this is becoming something of a tradition for me! Last year I spent the entire month of May with the Merkaba Community living of grid in the mountains of Portugal, and the year before I took my first ever solo trip abroad to Lanzarote- which then led to my retreats!
This past week I have painted railings, scrubbed paving stones, weeded the garden, worked in the shop, cleared the sawdust from a newly built kitchen, carried rubbish across the site...
I also made an epic chocolate cake and designed a fun scavenger hunt!
The chocolate and raspberry brownie cake I made this afternoon was something of a leaving gift to the other residents and volunteers. I wasn't initially going to provide the full recipe here as it wasn't particularly heathy (plenty of sugar and wheat flour and vegetable oil as that is all I had available) and the main focus on this occasion was that is was vegan since there were a few vegan volunteers and no vegan sweets other than fruit.
However, it was a totally delicious cake and so I have provided notes of ways to make it healthier if you were so inclined. I'd definitely make it again using those tweaks. The recipe is featured at the bottom of this post (apologies for awful photos that do not do the cake justice- we were too eager to scoff it- I had kept them waiting all day since I announced it at breakfast time after all!)
I still managed to hide some veg in it and nope, no one guessed the secret ingredient, ha ha ;-)
We did have one other vegan cake during my week here. It was a yummy banana cake that was baked as a belated birthday treat for me by one of the residents here- a guy called Jonathan. I was so excited by and grateful for his kind gesture. ;-)
My birthday cake from Jonathan!
My chocolate cake gift (and some of the crew!)
My favourite 'job' was to design a scavenger hunt for the members of the public when they visit. I made two versions- inside and outside.
What I loved most about putting it together was the way to forced me to 'see' the world anew as I took photos of items throughout the site. I explored my surroundings through entirely new eyes, looking for the details so easily overlooked.
For the first time I truly saw the patterns, the textures, the side and rear views, the colours and shapes out of the context of 'general magnificence'. I looked above me and below me to frame a view rarely seen but now given a space for appreciation evermore. I'd never noticed before the carved underside of the huge stone entrance canopy but it was absolutely beautiful and now everytime I walk through the main entrance doors I glance up and smile inside.
When you focus in on the details you see them in their true beauty. Without context you loose sense of expectation and your brain can not 'fill in the gaps' it otherwise would do.
I remember when I was an art student in my late teens, on every trip I went I'd take my sketch book and pencils. One holiday with my boyfriend at the time, i'd woken up long before he had and after a while not wanting to wake him, I started to draw him. From the angle I was sat his head was upside to me... and so I literally drew the shapes I saw in front of me and not the human features my brain told me were there. It was a quick ten minute sketch as he woke shortly after I began, but to this day I still think it is one of the best drawings I have ever created.
@@I wonder what might be created if you quite literally viewed your world from a new perspective?@@
A few other mementos I am bringing home with me... more fallen branches to make new dreamcatcher wall hangings, and lots of wild garlic growing in abundance in the woodland garden. Hopefully a recipe using that to come soon!
Recipe: Chocolate and Raspberry Brownie Cake
Note: all quantities are approximate since I had no measuring implements and worked on the basis of visual quantities and intuition. :-) If the final mixed batter is nice and thick and drops loosely from a spoon you've got it right (if not add a little extra milk or flour).
Makes a large cake pan approx 8x15inch (halve the recipe for a regular cake pan)
Ingredients:
2 cups non-dairy milk
1 large banana
2/3 cup veg oil*
1/3 cup raspberry jam*
1 fist sized sweet potato
3 cups plain flour*
1 cup cocoa
2/3 cup granulated sugar*
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
100g bar dark chocolate (mine had freeze dried raspberries in it too) (this is optional)
Method:
Finely grate the peeled sweet potato, mash the banana well and mix together in a medium bowl. Add the milk and veg oil and mix all together well.
In a separate large bowl, mix together all remaining dry ingredients other than the chocolate if using. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix well until you have a smooth thick batter.
Pour into a large lined baking tin and press broken up chunks of the dark chocolate and a little extra jam if you fancy into the top.
Bake for approx. 30-35 mins at 180C (I loosely covered the top with tinfoil for the last 10 mins to prevent excess browning). A toothpick should come out clean.
Allow to cool slightly and serve hot or cool fully and serve cold. I made a hot banana custard alongside.
*HEALTHY NOTES: you could swap the veg oil for melted coconut oil, swap the jam for a refined sugar free version or use fresh/frozen raspberry chunks. You could use wholemeal spelt flour or ground oat flour (oat flour may not rise quite so much), you could use unrefined coconut sugar. You could use 100% cocoa chunks or omit the chocolate entirely.
The 'Bliss Cake' (aka a mega bliss ball!)
I have another Bliss Ball Workshop coming up this weekend and last weekend I was in full on recipe development mode last weekend which included making loads of Bliss Ball mix... but I fancied a different presentation to the norm to change things up a bit and so the 'Bliss Cake' was born.... Oh My Gosh..... a touch of heaven on earth!!
Whaaaaaaa.... Why have I not create this before!
I love eating raw cakes BUT I am not typically big fan of making them, simple because of the time it often takes to make and freeze the different layers and also because they are often very neat and super slick and well, I guess I am a little more rough around the edges ;-) Basically, I like to keep things as simple and as quick as possible!
So this beauty ticked those boxes for sure. Be warned if you make it, it is VERY yummy and VERY moreish and a little slice is very rich and will go a long way! As with blss balls themselves, you could literally make any cake base and then decorate with any toppings... as you can see I added as many colourful things as possible (I was trying out new freeze dried fruits from RealFoodSource at the time).
My base was a blend of dates, almonds, raw cacao and a touch of orange extract.
Other great options could be..... these turkish delight balls, these 'cake like' truffles, or a gingerbread slice. Or why not try a double-decker cake and layer it up- it will barely take any longer as you could just make the full mix without any cocoa, divide in half and add cocoa to the second half, press the first half into the plan followed by the second.
If you wanted to add a frosting, then the raw frosting I used on these mini sweet potato muffins below (full muffin recipe here) would go down a treat! Basically you mash slightly softened coconut oil, with a little syrup of choice and cocoa powder, the spread on top in rough peaks and store in the fridge.
Or this lighter frosting (my classic go-to) uses silken tofu and is a total winner! (it just means the topping is not raw, if you were going for the raw cake thing!)
See... now you understand just how versatile the 'bliss cake' is! It;s going to be my new party piece for sure, I will be able to change up the flavours to suits my recipients favourite on a whim!
Recipe: The 'Bliss' Cake
Makes one 8" cake (or a deeper 6")
Ingredients:
2 cups medjool dates or soaked and drained deglet noor dates (I use the latter)
1 cup ground almonds (or any ground nut/seed base)
1/2 cup cocoa (for a non choc option use a little extra dry ingredient)
1 tsp orange extract (optional- rose water, mint or almond would be fab too)
Toppings galore!!!
Method:
Simple blend everything together in a food processor, you may need to do this in two batches defending on the side of your processor (mine is a 2 litre Thermomix). You want a fairly smooth texture with no big pieces, some texture if ok as it makes it 'cake'.
Press fairly firmly into a springform cake pan (or a silicone pan works too) then press into lots of amazing toppings. Or feel free to first it (you will need to keep in the fridge if frosted).
Keeps in the fridge for a couple of weeks (unfrosted) or on the counter for a few days.
Let me know if you make your own 'bliss cake' tag me @johodson on Instagram as I'd love to see!
Chocolate banana brownie bread
I called this 'brownie bread'... as it's shaped like a loaf, but with a beautiful dense and chewy sponge, best described as a cross between banana bread and a chocolate brownie!
The easiest, healthiest, allergy friendly but totally indulgent cake you'll probably ever find!
Well this recipe was totally unplanned! Making recipes on holiday in Lanzarote in my hosts kitchen! I have been eating all my meals with them, it's so lovely to be cooked for, especially since they eat a plant based diet also... i'll admit I haven't even needed to leave their house!
Since I happened to mention I write a food blog, I was offered the opportunity to come up with a healthy cake or dessert using 'anything I could find' in the kitchen. Wow, what an opportunity... though I was also pretty nervous and apprehensive in case it didn't work out! It's one thing wasting your own ingredients but anything things when it's someone else's food! Plus, I didn't have all my up ingredients and kitchen tools to hand.
Of course I wanted it to be as low in sugar as possible, and ideally contain chocolate, since I hadn't had any all week and it was calling to me! I needed a foolproof recipe that I knew would stand the least chance of failure.... that's when my crazy chocolate courgette cake came to mind. That cake is loved by so many, uses simple ingredients and I knew it would be a winner. To change it up a little I swapped the courgette for banana. This was in large part so that I could get away from using refined sugars- in the courgette version I use dates and pure stevia, but since I had no stevia to hand, I used bananas (and a teensy bit of brown sugar just to be sure) to hit the sweet spot.
Flour was also another factor to work around. I usually use fine ground oats in the chocolate courgette cake recipe, but all I had to hand here were emmer grains (an ancient grain similar to spelt and einkorn). This is what my hosts mill to make their own bread, so we milled some for this recipe. It worked perfectly.... phew! I imagine any of the ancient grain flours (or even regular wholewheat) would make a good substitute, or use fine oatmeal as per my original recipe (I haven't tried with purely gluten free flours but buckwheat or a GF flour blend could be a good bet if you do experiment).
Emmer grains- pre milling
Emmer flour being milled!
I also had to improvise with other ingredients too. Usually I use a combination of baking soda and baking power. But there was only soda to hand... a quick google gave me my solution. Baking soda needs an acid to react to, so I simply added lemon juice to the mix and it worked perfectly on its own.
The banana pieces on top were beautifully caramelised and chewy... feel free to add more or even mix some chunks into the mix to vary the texture and make more of a dessert bread, which would be amazing served warm with vegan cream or ice-cream.... or a slathering of drippy peanut butter! Oh yeah...
This basic recipe has been tried so many times now with little tweaks, it is virtually foolproof I promise! The verdict... they all loved it! Even two year old Shakti!
P.s You'll find plenty more of my 'loaf' style recipes HERE!
Recipe: Chocolate banana brownie bread
Makes 1 long shallow loaf (or equivalent of a large deep brownie pan)
Ingredients:
3/4 cup chopped dates (packed quite tightly)
1/2 cup boiling water (may need to add a few tablespoons extra at the end)
1/4 cup coconut oil (or other mild oil of choice)
2 tbs chia seeds (or flax seed)
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
4 medium bananas (3 to be pureed and 1 chopped for the top)
2-3 tbs brown sugar (you could omit this or sub with syrup or a few drops of pure stevia)
2/3 cup cocoa
1 1/2 cup emmer flour (or ground porridge oats or other flours as noted above)
1 heaped tsp baking soda
Method:
Soak the dates in the 1/2 cup boiling water for a few minutes to soften ( I did this as I only had a small stick hand blender to use, soaking it optional for more robust blenders so you could just add water separately). Add the coconut oil to melt it. Add three rough chopped bananas, the chia/flax and the lemon juice to the date/oil mix and blend until very smooth. All the wet ingredients should now be mixed.
In a separate medium bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa and baking soda. Add the pureed mixture and stir through until fully combined. Taste and add the brown sugar (or sweetener of choice) to taste. I only needed to add two tablespoons.
The mixture should be a soft spoonable batter. Add a few extra tablespoons of water only if needed (I added a couple). Spoon the mix into a greased and lined cake tin/loaf tin of choice (or muffin cups). Smooth the top as much as possonle then press the chopped banana pieces on top to decorate.
Bake for approx. 35-40 minutes at 180C (this will depend on the depth on the cake pan and need less time for muffins). I loosely covered the top with foil after 20 minutes once the bananas were browned to prevent potential burning. Check the middle of a cake with a fork or skewer to see that it comes away clean.
Serve warm or cold as a healthy indulgent snack or dessert! One easy cake- two ways!
(P.s this cake freezes beautifully too!)
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Celebration cake.... where health and indulgence collide!
'Where health and indulgence collide' has always been a bit of a mantra for me as I've developed Including cake over the last few years.
I simply don't believe the two are mutually exclusive. It was the challenge I most embraced as I ventured into the world of a plant based lifestyle around three years ago. If you have read my about page you'll see how this lifestyle first presented itself to me.
As time went on I began to research more and appreciate the incredible benefits of a plant based diet and then more importantly a 'whole food' plant based diet. It was at the time the refined sugars and 'white' products began to find there way out of my cupboards and into the bin. There was no turning back!
Did I ever deprive myself during this time?
No
Did I ever feel as thought i was missing out?
Sometimes- but only in social situations with limited options not in terms of what I could create myself
The challenge of creating indulgence in a way that did not compromise my health became my 'thing', and now in my coaching practice this is is something I am passionate to help others appreciate for themselves in their own lives.
Oh.... so you want to know about this cake...yes!
Ok, well I wont keep you waiting any longer. This cake is rich, moist, chocolatey, silky smooth, packed full of veg and other good stuff and topped with my Wholeplus product range (but you could use anything you like!)
It doesn't use loads of crazy specialist ingredients (just a few key ones like stevia) and doesn't take long to whip up. Its virtually foolproof. It's tried and tested with kids too.
Put simply... you have to make this cake!!
The base of the cake is actually my crazy courgette cake topped with a variation of my heathy chocolate frosting on top, (if you want a soy free frosting try this one) but since we're putting everything together i've rewritten it all out below. I then also topped it all off with my vanilla Wholeplus Squares.
I made this cake for a friends birthday a week or so ago (i made a big one plus some small ones- I doubled the recipe). I had advised her that it would keep well for a few days in the fridge...but I was quickly informed that within 24 hours the whole things had been eaten. To quote her she said "this cake is quite literally the nuts".
Recipe: Chocolate Celebration Cake
Makes 1 8” round or square cake
Base of the cake:
ingredients:
2/3 cup packed dates (soak in hot water for a few minutes if they are very hard)
approx ½ tsp pure stevia
1 heaped cup courgette puree (I approximated this by using 1 ½ cups smallsh chunks)
½ cup water
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup oil of choice (I use coconut oil)
¼ cup flax seed
¾ cup cocoa powder
1 cup oat flour (I ground up some regular oats)
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips (I used these)
1/4 tsp salt
1 heaped tsp baking powder
1 heaped tsp baking soda
Method:
Blend the courgette with all the wet ingredients and the flax seed to form a smooth fairly runny paste. Allow to stand for a couple of minutes.
Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl and then add the wet. Mix lightly but well to form a thick soft batter. Add a little extra water if necessary.
Spoon the batter into a lined/greased muffin pan or round cake tin (you could also make cupcakes?) and smooth the top as best you can.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for approx 25 minutes, after 10-15 minutes it is advisable to lightly cover the top of the pan with foil to prevent the top browning before the centre is cooked through.
Allow to cook before topping with frosting.
Frosting:
Note: you can make this in advance and keep in the fridge for a day or so, you'll also want to chill it before to topping the cake anyway.
Ingredients
1/2 carton firm silken tofu (I use Mori nu)
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tbs melted coconut oil
3 tbs agave nectar (plus a touch of stevia if needed)
1/4 tsp stevia powder
1 tsp orange extract (or another flavour if you prefer)
Method
So simple!! Put all ingredients into food processor and blend up very thoroughly. Spoon into a bowl and store in the fridge to firm up a little ready for use.
For toppings, I used my vanilla Wholeplus Squares plus some cacoa nibs and ground up goji berries on the big cake for a pretty sprinkle of colours- gojis make the perfect healthy sprinkles right?
This cake keeps best in the fridge in keeping for more than a day. (yeah right!)
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Why not sign up for emails in my sidebar where I feature roundups and special offers. If you are new round here check out my 'About' and 'Getting Started' tabs up top. To buy nibbles you can also find me over at Wholeplus. Day to day you can also find me in these places:
Chocolate pumpkin brownie slices
Craziness going on here... I just realised I haven't posted these brownie slices yet!
I made them weeks and weeks ago...as in around the time of thanksgiving and pumpkin overload. I think at the time I felt I had already posted so many pumpkin recipes and there were so many other similar recipes in the recipe world that I held off a little...then forgot!
This is basically a twist on the chocolate courgette cake (mmmm, still love that beauty!) and just goes to show the veggie component is pretty versatile. I reckon cauliflower would also work (don't think i've tried that one yet though) and what about sweet potato, pureed carrot or parsnip? Some may give a slight flavour variation- but chocolate covers and compliments pretty much everything, so feel free to play around with your taste buds to find combos that you love!
One thing to note, I tried making this with cooked, pureed fresh pumpkin (I bought a glut of pumpkins after halloweeen and froze them in chunks!) and also at another time with regular canned pumpkin. I actually preferred the fresh cooked version- not sure why that is as I can't see there would be much difference, but i could definitely taste a slight underlying pumpkin taste with the canned whereas i couldn't at all with the other- that was just my taste preference.
Makes 1 8” round or square cake
ingredients:
1 cup packed dates
approx ½ tsp pure stevia
1 ½ cup pureed pumpkin (fresh cooked or canned- see note)
2/3 cup water (if your dates are hard soak them in this water prior to blending)
1/3 cup oil of choice (I use coconut)
¼ cup flax seed
1 cup cocoa powder
1 ½ cup oat flour (I ground some regular porridge oats)
1/3 cup dark chocolate chips
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp mixed spice
1/4 tsp salt
1 heaped tsp baking powder
1 heaped tsp baking soda
handful of walnuts or pecans for toppping
Method:
Blend the pumpkin with the dates and all the wet ingredients and the flax seed to form a smooth fairly runny paste. Allow to stand for a couple of minutes.
Mix the dry ingredients together in a medium bowl and then add the wet. Mix lightly but well to form a thick soft batter. Add a little extra water if necessary.
Spoon the batter into a lined/greased muffin pan or round cake tin (you could also make cupcakes?) and smooth the top as best you can.
Bake in a preheated oven at 180C for approx 20-25 minutes, you may need to lightly cover the top of the pan with foil for the final 5 mins to prevent the top browning before the centre is cooked through.
Allow to cool before slicing. Store in the fridge for up to 1 week…these taste even better the next day!
I'd love you to join me in other places too!
Why not sign up for emails in my sidebar where I feature roundups and special offers. If you are new round here check out my 'About' and 'Getting Started' tabs up top. To buy nibbles you can also find me over at Wholeplus. Day to day you can also find me in these places:
Dark chocolate forest fruit cake...Virtual Vegan Potluck!
Today it's Virtual Vegan Pot Luck around the world and this year I'm taking part too!
The best (and pretty clever) part of this 'party' are the links below to each blogger both before and after me in the chain... you'll be able to hop from blog to blog to check out the dishes that have been brought to the party. The dishes have also been linked and ordered as you would eat your meal... appetiser, beverages, breads, soups, salads, sides, mains, desserts, I guess it was obvious which one I was going to pick!!
So before you flick down to check out the links below, let me tell you about my dish- it is the perfect recipe for a lazy weekend!
Since I am on a super healthy kick in the lead up to Christmas I wanted to create a dessert style cake that was full of chocolate and fruits whilst being sugar free and also low in fat. This most definitely ticks all those boxes. It started off based loosely based on these chocolate pillows and the choc-courgette cake but I wanted even more fruity indulgence going on! The berries on top give the cake a moist dessert like feel, and really compliment the 'fat free' sponge which to some people feel can be a little lacking in texture- oh no, not here!
You will note that I've used oat flour. I'm pretty sure buckwheat or other GF flours of choice would work well as a substitute as would spelt if you prefer. The cake is quite dense and the sponge is not designed to be light and fluffy so various flour choices work well here.
You can also add a little extra sweetness if you prefer. I used stevia along with the fruits to create a 'dark chocolate forest fruit cake' but feel free to taste the batter and add a little syrup/sweetener of choice to adjust to taste before baking.
This cake is great served either hot or cold- it tasted a little 'lighter' served warm and that was my preference. It will last in the fridge for a couple of days.
Recipe: Dark chocolate forest fruit cake
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup oat flour
1/4 cup starch (I used potato starch)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup apple puree (2 cored apples blended)
1/2 cup berry juice (i.e cranberry juice)*
1/2 tsp pure stevia
1 heaped cup of mixed frozen berries- for top (use frozen so the fruit does not burn)
Method:
Blend the apples until smooth, add the stevia and cocoa powder. Mix through the flour and starch and lastly the juice to form a smooth thick batter.
Spoon the batter into a 8" cake tin and roughly smooth the top. Pile the frozen berries on top of the batter and lightly press.
Bake at 180C for approx 35 minutes- check the cake after 20 minutes and if the top is already golden but centre still requires extra time, loosely cover for the final 15 minutes or so.
Serve hot or cold, with custard or cream (vegan of course)!
*Note: i used apple juice the first time it is tasted slightly too appley for my taste but was still fine. I would suggest using a berry juice to compliment the berries on top.
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