Chocolate cake pretty much goes with any occasion, whether it be Christmas, a birthday, Easter or any kind of get together and it's often a guaranteed crowd pleaser too. So I thought with Christmas fast approaching it was high-time I had a decent chocolate cake recipe on here for those on a gluten and dairy free diet.
My family liked this recipe a lot. It's isn't overly sweet yet the chocolate chunks make it indulgent and the ingredients are relatively healthy for a cake too. You could have more than one slice in a day without feeling guilty - well we didn't anyway! So I wanted to share it because all you autoimmune warriors out there deserve a treat.
I'm a fan of buckwheat because it's high in protein and magnesium and I like the texture it creates. It has a slight nutty flavour and behaves like a wholegrain but doesn't feel overly processed like commercial gluten-free flour. It's also low in fodmaps and suitable for those on an IBS or SIBO diet.
Having made the cake already with the recipe below I can tell you that next time I will be putting in two bars of chocolate and skipping the nuts to see if I can make more of a brownie / torte type of dessert. That doesn't mean the nuts weren't good, but sometimes a pure chocolate option is needed. I might add a banana in to see if that makes the texture more gooey. Adding orange zest or cranberries is another idea for a more festive flavour.
Ingredients:
3 eggs
200g seedless medjool dates
1 glass of water
1/2 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons of raw cacao powder
1 cup buckwheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 -2 bars of Green & Blacks 70% dark chocolate
1 cup walnuts or hazelnuts (optional)
Instructions:
Soak the dates in the water for 10 minutes then put into the food processor and grind until you get a puree consistency
Beat the eggs in a deep bowl
Add the date puree and olive oil into the bowl and whisk
Add the raw cacao and baking powder
Break the Green & Blacks chocolate into chunks
Option to add nuts crushed, stir well.
Pour into a greased 20*26 cm oven dish (I used a silicon tart mould) and smooth the top
Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 20-30 mins or until the toothpick comes out clean.
If you make it, let me know how you got on and what you thought of it in the comments below or tag me on Instagram @autoimmune_hub. I hope this recipe can bring some joy and pleasure to you social occasions and celebrations.
Enjoy! x