I will not say that the cake is exactly healthy, but it is definitely better for you compared to regular chocolate cakes. I have not used any white sugar or flour; also, I chose applesauce instead of a whole lot of fatty ingredients. Avocados, dark chocolate, and banana replace the regular sugar and fat packed filling. On top of all that, the cake is entirely plant-based—a complete winner in my book. As a disclaimer, I need to mention that for some people, used to a lot of sugar, this cake might taste too healthy. I have been practicing life without much white sugar for a long time, so if you are still a beginner, you might want to add more sugar. The cake is vegan, so feel free to taste the batter before baking and adjust the sweetness.
I have made this cake at least 10 times, and I still can’t get over the fact that the base of this cake is so so soft and juicy without adding a ton of fat to the batter. Make sure not to overcook the cake. I have given you the baking time suitable for my oven, but the ranges can be quite different, so use your judgment and check on the cake if you think it might be overcooked sooner. And if you still somehow manage to overcook the cake – use a little more coffee to moisten the cake. A lot of filling helps too.
I always make the cake in 2 layers, but if you want to go very fancy, you can double the cream/filling recipe, cut the cake into 3 rounds and build it up even higher!
Plant-Based Chocolate Cake
Cooking time: 1 hour
Serves: 12
Ingredients
For the cake:
1 ½ cups almond milk
2 tsp white wine vinegar
½ cup strong coffee
1 ¼ cups apple sauce (no added sugar, please)
2 tsp vanilla paste
11 oz spelt flour
3 ½ oz coconut sugar
3 ½ oz cacao powder
3 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
For the filling:
3 ½ oz dark (I use 80%) chocolate
3 ripe avocados
1 very ripe banana
½ cup of strong coffee
To serve:
Orange slices, fresh berries, whipped coconut cream
Instructions:
For the cake base:
Preheat the oven to 360F and prepare an 8-inch pan (if you have several pans, you can use two) – oil it lightly, then dust with cacao powder. Keep the pan in the fridge as long as you prepare the batter.
Mix almond milk with vinegar then set aside.
In a different bowl, mix the flour, sugar, cacao, baking powder, and salt.
Mix all other ingredients to the milk mixture first, then add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until you have no lumps.
Pour the batter into the pan (or divide between two pans). Bake for 40 minutes if using one pan and 30 minutes if using two.
Let the cakes cool completely before assembling.
Melt the chocolate.
Add the banana and avocado and whizz it all up to a smooth cream with a stick blender.
To assemble the cake:
If you only have one pan, then carefully slice the cake into two. If you have two, your life is easier, and you can skip this step.
Use the remaining ½ cup of coffee to keep the cake moist – using a small spoon, distribute the coffee between the cake bases equally.
Smear about 1/3 of the filling between the two cake bases and cover the cake's top and sides with the rest.
Use whatever you like for garnishes. I recommend orange, berries, or whipped coconut cream, but you can also use sprinkles, more chocolate, or even edible flowers.
Notes:
If you are not a coffee-lover, you can substitute it with orange juice.
By Kadri Raig
Kadri is a food blogger and yoga teacher from Estonia. She loves to spend time in the kitchen, but most of her recipes are simple and don’t take more than 20 minutes of active cooking time. She thinks that everybody can find time to cook healthy food at home, it is just a question of planning. "I work in an office full time, teach yoga 7-8 hours a week and write a blog. So if I manage to cook most of my meals, then so do you!" Connect with Kadri and enjoy many more of her delicious healthy recipes on her website here: www.kahvliga.ee.