Super-Chocolatey Chocolate Cake with a Twist
I love this recipe - less sugar, more chocolate, and one of your five-a-day!
The twist: courgette (that’s zucchini for my American friends).
It’s every bit a yummy as it looks. Mosit, fluffy, chocolatey and completely vegan, gluten-free, soy-free and nut-free!
First, I make two egg replacements (or two flax eggs, if that’s what floats your boat) and set them to the side. Then I weigh all dry ingredients and add them into a big mixing bowl. Don’t forget to preheat your oven!
I use a standard gluten-free flour mix, add some xantham gum and baking powder and soda. Some salt, sugar and all the cocoa powder!
I measure some vegetable oil (use coconut for extra sweetness) and almond milk (again, I use unsweetened one…) and mix the whole thing, egg replacement, dry ingredients and liquids. At this point, I remember that I do need a loaf tin and use my olive oil greasing spray to grease it.
Now to the fun part: wash a courgette and grate it (I used the right side of the grater, to get those funky strips). You should end up with about 1 ¾ cups, don’t pour out any of the excess moisture! Your cake needs it.
Then mix the courgette with the dough. It will become more sticky and moist, which is exactly what we want. But I think cocoa powder on its own is not enough, so…
I chop the equivalent of a cup of chocolate chunks. Since my local supermarket does not do soya-free chocolate chunks, buttons or the like, I just took a cheap dark chocolate and made my own. Fold the chocolate into the batter and transfer into the loaf tin.
Chop another half bar of chocolate (or use some mini buttons) and sprinkle on top. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean (about an hour, start testing at 50 minutes).
Let it cool for an hour - the chocolate should have stopped being smeary - and transfer onto a rack. Enjoy with some vegan cream or ice cream - or just on its own!
1 heaped teaspoon xanthan gum (optional)
2 teaspoons baking powder
2/3 cup sugar (I use light brown one)
½ cup vegetable or coconut oil
1 large shredded courgette (1 ¾ cups)
1 cup dark chocolate chips
½ cup mini chocolate buttons to sprinkle on top
Preheat oven, Gas mark 5, 325F, and grease a loaf tin.
Combine dry ingredients in a large moxing bowl.
Mix with oil, milk alternative and egg replacement.
Shred/grate courgette and fold into batter.
Fold in the dakr chocolate chips.
Transfer into loaf tin and sprinkle with mini chocolate buttons.
Bake for about 55-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Leave to cool for an hour before removing from the tin.