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 award winning chocolate banana brownie bread (which is amazing in it's own right) there is no banana flavour.

Here’s the chocolate banana brownie bread by the way, with tips to easily make that using this recipe below.

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 @iamjohodson, 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

*If you want to make the PETA award winning Chocolate Banana Brownie Bread instead - just swap the sweet potato for mashed banana plus extra slices on top, and use a little little less coconut sugar (to taste).

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!