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Good For you chocolate cake

A rich Dark Chocolate Cake filled with wholesome ingredients and 4 hidden vegetables!

Chocolate cake is that one dish that can be baked for a joyful occasion, a break up recovery that substitutes the Ben & Jerry’s tub, a casual meet up, during quarantine, or for no reason at all. Hence, you really don’t need motivation to make a luxurious chocolate cake. The word “Healthy” and Chocolate Cake shouldn’t go along in the same sentence however once you’ve tried my recipe you would understand my sentiment.

Unfortunately the term healthy has been used and abused and today it is considered among all things insipid. I am here to change that and move all stereotypes out the window with this indulgently luxurious chocolate cake.

I stumbled upon this recipe through trial and error as I was on the quest of finding a perfect chocolate cake and frosting recipe for my brother’s home coming. My brother suffers from “Leaky Gut” syndrome, which basically does not allow his body to digest any form of gluten and dairy to a certain extent. Making him a chocolate cake seemed apt having not seen him in 3 years and his love affair with chocolate.

A basic cake consists of:

Fat: I used a combination of canola and coconut oil; oil in chocolate cakes makes for a tender crumb. Use oils that aren’t high in flavor to avoid a clash with the chocolate.

Sweetener: I used liquid honey and organic maple syrup, which makes the batter runnier however it aids the cake in moisture as well.

Leavening agent: There are 4 leavening agents in this cake that ensures the cake will be airy and light without much effort. Eggs are not only leavening agents here but they bind the cake batter together however, for a vegetarian or vegan option, use 4 flaxseed eggs instead. Baking powder, baking soda and vinegar assist in creating that light textured cake

Flour: I used a combination of almond, walnut and coconut flour that ensures the cake is gluten free. You could use hazelnut or cashew powder.

Flavoring agent: I have used a dark dairy free chocolate here and cocoa powder, both of which are essential in achieving that indulgent, rich flavor.

The game changer for this recipe is the 4 different vegetables that you wouldn’t taste in it, making this cake go from an allergy driven recipe to a healthy dessert to a great way to make kids eat their veg in no time!

It doesn’t require any fancy equipment to prepare. In addition, you need zero decoration skills as the frosting does all the work with its glossy appearance to invite anyone into a voluptuous slice, serving half a dozen hungry folks quite lavishly.

The moist dark chocolate cake against velvety smooth and shiny frosting pairs well with the crunchy texture of the cocoa nibs, the freshness of the berries cuts the richness making you want more than a slice. I hope you enjoy baking this for your loved ones just as much as I did. Happy Baking!

Good For You Chocolate Cake

A rich Dark Chocolate Cake filled with wholesome ingredients and 4 hidden vegetables!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Decorating Time 15 minutes
Course Dessert
Servings 6 people

Equipment

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Whisk
  • Sieve
  • Blender
  • 9 inch cake pan (or what you have but this will affect the cooking time. Larger the pan, lesser the cooking time and smaller the pan higher the cooking time)
  • Spoon/Spatula to decorate cake

Ingredients
  

Cake

  • 3 Nos Eggs/4 Flaxseed Eggs
  • 1/2 cup Canola Oil/Coconut Oil
  • 1/4 cup Cup Organic Maple Syrup/Honey
  • 1 cup Boiling Water
  • 3/4 cup Cocoa Powder
  • 1/4 cup Chocolate Chips (70% dark)
  • 2 cups Flour (almond, walnut, coconut)
  • 3 cups Grated Raw Veg (1 1⁄2 cup beetroot & 1 1⁄2 cup zucchini)
  • 1 tbsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1 tbsp Vinegar
  • 1 Pinch Salt

Frosting

  • 3/4 cup Sweet Potato (boiled, peeled, mashed and cooled)
  • 2 nos Ripe Avocados
  • 5 tbsp Cocoa Powder
  • 2 tbsp Coconut Oil
  • 6 tbsp Maple Syrup/Honey
  • 1 Pinch of Salt

Decorating

  • A handful of mixed berries
  • Cocoa Nibs

Instructions
 

Cake

  • Preheat oven to 170°C. Line 3 9inch cake pans with oil and baking paper. 
Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, sift the flours, salt, cocoa powder and baking powder. 
Using a whisk stir and until combined.
  • Add the eggs, oil, grated veg, organic maple syrup and chocolate chips. 
Mix until almost combined, add the boiling water and mix the baking soda 
with the vinegar and add it into the batter.
  • Mix until combined and divide the batter into the three pans and bake for 
12-15 min until risen and tooth pick inserted comes out clean. Set aside to 
cool for 15 min.

Frosting

  • To make the frosting blend all the ingredients in the blender until smooth 
Leave in the chiller to cool for 10 min before spreading over the cake.

Assembly

  • To assemble the cake, layer one cake, add the frosting, some berries and 
cocoa nibs. Repeat the process until the entire cake is done.
  • Serve with some tea or make ahead and cut the next day.

Notes

Pro Tip:
It is more economical to make your own nut powder at home. Toast the nuts until their aroma fills the air. Let them cool down and blend them, start by pulsing and then blend until a fine powder. Do not over mix, as you will end up with homemade nut butter.
Option – You could blend with the nuts with a tsp of icing sugar (it stops the nuts from releasing their oils).

3 thoughts on “Good for you chocolate cake”

  2. AMELIA HUNT

    I think I must have done something wrong. My cake didn’t rise and it is black on top like it’s burnt. Any suggestions?

    Reply
    1. annikapanikker

      hey Amelia, so sorry to hear this! just a couple of tips on getting it perfect every time, make sure the ingredients are weighed out correctly and if the cake is burnt on top it means the ovens temperature from the top is higher than below, ideally we want to bake this cake with heating from top and bottom or from the bottom alone. hope this helps!

      Reply

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