Like most children, our daughter Maya is obsessed with cake!
This is the cake we created for her recent birthday, which is refined sugar free and uses an avocado frosting.
Does the frosting taste like avocado?
- If you’re wondering, yes the frosting does taste of avocado! But if you like avocado, then trust us – you’ll love this cake.
Can I make this cake in advance?
- The cake is best enjoyed on the same day because the sooner you eat it, the more fluffy and moist it will be. But it will last well for 1-2 days stored at room temperature in an air-tight container.
- However, the avocado frosting won’t keep well at room temperature, so we recommend storing the frosting separately in another air-tight container in the fridge – ideally no longer than a day – then adding it to the cake when you’re ready to serve.
Ripe is right!
- Ideally you’ll want the bananas to be ‘just ripe’. If they’re green, they won’t be soft or sweet. But if they’re very brown, they’ll be too wet and too sweet. Ideally you want them to be a vibrant yellow with a few brown spots.
- It’s also important to make sure the avocados are ripe. If they’re too hard, the frosting won’t be smooth.
Other notes:
- We use a combination of coconut oil and extra-virgin olive oil. The coconut oil has a high moisture content, so it helps to create a fluffy cake. Likewise, extra-virgin olive oil is liquid at room temperature and therefore helps to capture moisture in the cake after it has cooled.
- We use extra-virgin olive oil, which has a more balanced flavour and is generally healthier compared to regular olive oil. Extra-virgin olive oil does have a lower smoking point, but it’s fine to use at this temperature. If you prefer, you can just use regular olive oil.
- We use regular-sized Medjool dates, which weigh roughly 20g (0.7oz) each. So you’ll need about 280g (9.9oz) of dates in total. Medjool dates have a wonderfully creamy flavour, but they can be quite expensive depending on where you buy them. If you prefer to use an alternative date, just bear-in-mind they will probably be a different size so be sure to use the same amount in weight.
Refined Sugar Free Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 160 ml unsweetened soy milk
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 14 Medjool dates, stones removed (see notes)
- 3 medium ripe bananas
- 4 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 100 g coconut oil, melted
- 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
- 300 g plain flour
- 60 g cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda, baking soda in the US
- salt
For the avocado frosting:
- 4 ripe avocados, see notes
- 6 tbsp maple syrup
- 60 g cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Method
- In a jug, combine the milk with the vinegar and leave to one side to curdle. This is your vegan buttermilk.
- Next, add the dates to a bowl and cover with hot water straight from a kettle, then leave them to soften while you carry out the next steps.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan / 400°F, then grease 2 x 20cm (8”) cake tins with olive oil and line the base with baking paper.
- Peel the bananas, add the flesh to a mixing bowl and mash with a fork until runny. Then add the maple syrup, vanilla extract, coconut oil and olive oil. Drain the dates well, then chop them until fine (so they resemble a paste). Then add them to the mixing bowl, along with the vegan buttermilk from earlier and give everything a good stir.
- Next add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and a pinch of salt to the mixing bowl, and mix gently until fully combined. Divide the cake batter between the two cake tins and use a spatula to level out the mixture. Then use the stapula to create a slight dip in the middle of the batter in each tin, which will help to reduce the amount of rise.
- Bake the cakes for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the cake.
- For the avocado frosting, add the flesh from the avocados to a food processor along with the maple syrup, cocoa powder and vanilla extract. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as you go.
- Once the cakes have finished baking, leave them to cool slightly in their tins. Then when they are cool enough to touch, remove them from their tins and peel off the baking paper from the base, then leave them to cool fully on a cooling rack.
- Once fully cooled and you’re ready to serve, place one cake on a cake stand or serving dish, then spread a quarter of the avocado frosting over the top. Place the second cake on top and spread the remaining frosting around the top and sides of the cake. Then slice to serve.
1 Comment
Hi, looks delicious Do you think you can replace by oat flour?