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Healthy chocolate cake

A chocolate cake on a glass cake stand with a slice taken out of it

Healthy chocolate cake

Name: Healthy chocolate cake
Total time: 2 h
Yield: Serves 14
Ingredients: 300g sweet potatoes; 250g dates (after stones removed); 75ml cold-pressed rapeseed oil; 350ml almond milk; 1½ tbsp cider vinegar; 350g wholemeal self-raising flour; 50g cacao powder; 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 150g dark chocolate roughly chopped, plus 10g, grated; 1 orange zested, juiced to make 1 tbsp

Nadine Brown

Published: December 20, 2021 at 11:30 AM

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Serves 14

Easy

Total time: 2 hrs

+ soaking

A star rating of 5 out of 5.1 ratingRate

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We've given classic chocolate cake a healthy twist by using sweet potatoes, sticky dates and almond milk. Using dark chocolate and cacao powder gives it a wonderful richness

Healthy

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Alternatives

Complete the dish

Bake this healthy chocolate cake, then check out our chocolate fudge cake, easy chocolate cake, vegan chocolate cake and more chocolate dessert recipes. For more healthy bakes, check out our healthy blondies, sugar-free banana bread, sugar-free cookies and healthy muffins.

Ingredients

Nutrition

300g sweet potatoes
250g dates

(after stones removed)
75ml cold-pressed rapeseed oil
350ml almond milk
1½ tbsp cider vinegar
350g wholemeal self-raising flour
50g cacao powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g dark chocolate

roughly chopped, plus 10g, grated
1 orange

zested, juiced to make 1 tbsp

Nutrition: per serving

kcal284
fat11.2g
saturates3.3g
carbs38.4g
sugars18.5g
fibre3.9g
protein5.2g
salt0.5g

Method

step 1

Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Pierce the sweet potatoes in several places, then put on a small tray. Bake for 1 hour or until soft throughout, then remove from the oven and leave until cool enough to handle.
step 2

Put the dates in a medium bowl and cover with just-boiled water. Leave to soak for 30 minutes. Drain, reserving 2 tbsp of the soaking water, and put the dates and reserved water in a mini food processor. Blitz until smooth.
step 3

Oil the bases and sides of two 20cm loose-bottomed sandwich tins using ½ tsp of the oil, then line the bases with baking paper. Put the almond milk in a jug, add the vinegar and leave to sit. Sift the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and add the puréed dates, almond milk, oil and vanilla. Beat well until smooth. Divide the mixture between the prepared tins and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cakes comes out cleanly. Leave to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.
step 4

Scrape the insides of the sweet potatoes into a medium pan. Add the chocolate and, on a low heat, continuously mix until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is mostly smooth. Transfer the mixture to a food processor while still warm, along with the orange zest and juice. Blitz for 2 minutes until completely smooth. If the mixture looks too thick, add 1-2 tbsp of just-boiled water and continue to beat until smooth. Leave to cool, then spread all over the cake. Decorate with the grated chocolate.

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Authors

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Nadine Brown

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