Chocolate cake made over

A good chocolate cake is a yummy treat, but it’s even better when it’s delicious and healthier than the original version.  This cake was a bit of an experiment based on the traditional favourite chocolate cake in our family.  It’s super easy to make – you only need one bowl and no food mixer/processor.

This cake uses ground almonds (a source of magnesium, calcium, vitamin E, niacin and riboflavin), wholemeal spelt flour (a source of B vitamins, magnesium) in place of white flour and macadamia nut oil instead of butter.  Macadamia nut oil is high in heart healthy monounsaturated fats and is also high in antioxidants.

I used coconut sugar in this recipe but you can use whatever sweetener you want. Even though coconut sugar does contain some nutritional value, it’s still sugar.

Even the icing’s a healthier version of your traditional chocolate icing.  It’s made with cashew nuts, cocoa butter, cocoa and sweetened with maple syrup and it’s delicious.

All up you get a healthier chocolate cake that’s a delicious sweet treat.

Healthier chocolate cake:

1 cup water
1 cup coconut sugar
2 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup finely ground almond flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup wholemeal spelt flour
1/2 cup macadamia nut oil
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup boysenberries (I used frozen ones)

Preheat oven to 180 degrees celcius

Heat the water, coconut sugar and honey in a pot over a medium heat, stiring regularly until the water is simmering, for around 5 minutes.  Take off the heat and mix in the cocoa, oil, flours and baking powder.  Stir well.   Add the eggs and baking soda and mix well.  Gently fold through the boysenberries.

Pour into a greased cake tin and bake for 55mins – 65 mins (it will be less if you use a ring tin) or until a skewer comes out clean.  When cool, ice with the chocolate cashew icing recipe below.

Chocolate cashew Icing
50g cacao butter or coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup raw cashew nuts
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
pinch of salt

Melt the cacao butter or coconut oil over a low heat and leave to cool slightly. In a food processor, blend the cashews, cocoa powder, maple syrup, lemon juice and salt for a minute or so until the nuts start to grind up. As the blade is still running pour in the melted cacao butter and process into the mix is smooth and the nuts are ground.

Spread the icing over the cake and refrigerate until the icing is set, about 15 minutes.