All you need is love...
and a recipe for a healthy chocolate cake! Am I right, or what?
This is such a luscious and decadent recipe, you would never guess that is gluten free AND refined sugar-free. It just seems too good to be true.
When I make this for friends, I usually do not tell them exactly what is in it. I just let them try it and love it and then I tell the main ingredient: sweet potatoes. Yes, you read that correctly. Stay with me here and give this one a chance. You will be so happy that you did!
In this recipe, the sweet potatoes add a naturally sweetness and lend to a very silky, mousse-like cake. Combined with good quality chocolate, it is absolutely delicious. Yes it is still a treat to indulge in once in a while, but if you are going to indulge AND you do not have to compromise on taste, then you may as well have a nutrient-dense chocolate cake. The kids will love it, too!
Let's talk about those sweet potatoes for a minute before you dive into the recipe. Sweet potatoes are loaded with fiber and are also packed full of vitamins and minerals, including B-vitamins, vitamin C, calcium, selenium, and iron. Traditionally, they are used in savoury recipes and can be prepared in countless tasty ways. A personal family favorite are sweet potato fries or roasted sweet potato rounds, both baked in the oven and drizzled with olive oil and generously sprinkled with salt and pepper.
They are a versatile root vegetable that also go really well in this recipe. My preferred method of cooking the sweet potatoes for this recipe is to bake them several hours or a day a head of time. Boiling them is an option, but I find they can become water-logged, which your don't really want for this recipe. If you do boil them, make sure and drain the sweet potatoes really well before pureeing them for the recipe.
The chocolate ganache is also one of my favorite recipes and is so simple to make. This delightful recipe is both dairy and refined sugar-free. Make sure you plan ahead a refrigerate the coconut milk or cream before using, so that the cream of the coconut milk is solid. Save the more liquid part of the coconut milk for cooking or another recipe.
To make a two-tiered cake, simply double both the cake and the icing recipe.
And the most important part? Enjoy with people you love!
Happy Valentine's Day!
Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake
(Inspired by the recipe from TheIronYou)
Makes one 8 inch round cake
Ingredients:
4 oz / 113 gr +70% dark chocolate, chopped
2 medium sweet potatoes (4 to 5 oz), boiled or baked,
and peeled
¼ cup / 2.22 oz / 63 gr raw organic honey
3 free-range eggs
¼ cup / 0.7 oz / 20 gr cocoa powder
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon coconut flour
1 tablespoon coconut oil (or butter)
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
Method:
1. Place a rack in the upper third of the oven and
preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).
2. Grease with coconut oil
an 8-inch baking pan. Line the pan with baking paper
and grease the paper. This will make cake removal
much easier.
3. Whisk together cocoa, coconut flour, baking soda and
salt and set aside.
4. Place coconut oil and chopped chocolate in a medium
sized heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of
barely simmering water; being sure that the bottom of
the bowl does not touch the boiling water. Stir until
chocolate and coconut oil are completely melted. Use
potholders to remove the bowl from over the boiling
water. Let mixture sit for a few minutes.
5. Puree the sweet potato in a food processor until very
smooth, making sure there are no lumpy bits.
6. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together honey, eggs and
vanilla extract. Whisk until pale and thick. Pour the
chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Whisk until
completely incorporated. Add the sweet potato and mix
well. Add the cocoa mixture all at once and whisk to
incorporate.
7. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 35 to 40
minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center
comes out clean.
Chocolate Ganache:
400ml organic coconut milk or coconut cream
300grams /10.5oz good quality dark chocolate 72%
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
Method:
1. Bring the coconut milk to a simmer in small sauce
pan
2. Chop chocolate and place in a mixing bowl
3. Pour the hot coconut milk over the chocolate and
let stand 5 mins
4. Stir until smooth and thickened
5. If using as a glaze, let cool slightly then pour
over cake
6. If you using as a frosting, cool in the fridge for
an hour or two to help come to a thicker
consistency