CACAO CAKE
Ingredients:
For the Cake
■ 1 cup gluten-free flour blend, 1 cup oat flour, 4tbsp coconut flour, 5tbsp cacao powder, ½tsp sea salt, 1tbsp baking powder, 1tbsp baking soda, 1 medium ripe avocado, 3 medium bananas (slightly overripe), ½cup date paste, ½ cup coconut sugar, 1/2 cup coconut oil, 2 cup unsweetened almond milk, 2tbsp apple cider vinegar
For the chocolate frosting
¼ cup natural, unsalted creamy almond butter, 4tbsp date paste, 2tbsp cacao powder, 4tbsp water Method:
■ Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celsius and line an eight-inch baking pan with coconut oil and parchment paper
■ Measure out two cups of almond milk and add vinegar. Let it set for a minute, then add baking soda and powder to the mixture and whisk
■ Add avocado and banana to a large mixing bowl and mash
■ Add date paste, coconut sugar, coconut oil and stir
■ Add cacao powder, salt, gluten-free flour blend, and coconut flour to a sifter (reserving oat flour since it’s more coarse) and sift over wet ingredients. Whisk vigorously to combine
■ Last, add oat flour and stir once more. Taste a bit to see if it needs more date paste
■ Then, pour into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula
■ Bake for 65 to 70 minutes, or until the top is firm and dark. Inserting a toothpick in the centre may not come out clean which is completely okay as long as the top is firm.
■ The cooling process will allow the cake to cook more. Cracks on the top are natural when baking with coconut sugar. The edges should be pulling away from the sides slightly ■ Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for an hour
■ Blend all ingredients of the frosting and spread over the cake generously
■ Ideally, consume within three
days of preparation. Refrigerate if keeping longer than three days. Freeze for even longer storage. Health Benefits: “This recipe is my attempt at creating a nutritious, vegan and gluten-free cake from scratch with ingredients that are available locally,” says Raveena Taurani, founder and CEO of an organic health-based company.