We’re on vacation at my husband’s family cottage in New Hampshire on Lake Winnipesaukee. (I can finally spell that without having to look it up.) The amenities are basic, the cottage is shared with a number of family members and is only used during the summertime. The mixing options are an ancient Waring blender with a glass carafe and hard plastic lid that doesn’t seal (I LOVE this blender on an aesthetic level, but it’s not the most effective appliance I’ve ever used), and a hand mixer. Never to shy away from a challenge, I wanted a new treat that I could eat without paying for with my health. It’s nice to have time to tinker in the kitchen.

I based this cake on Jane Barthelemy’s Vegan Chocolate Cake, but both limited access to, and limited ability to tolerate ingredients forced me to make some fairly significant changes. Also, I wanted a bit of a crumb rather than a super dense chocolate decadence texture, so I threw in a little baking soda to give it a lift. The result is a definite keeper. I made one for my father-in-law’s 85th birthday celebration with Jane’s Paleo Chocolate Sauce (sweetened with stevia), and no one felt like they were eating a “compromise” cake.

I made it again so I wouldn’t feel deprived watching everyone eat their dairy, gluten and sugar laden treats, and put a note on it saying, “Please reserve for Durga”. I’ve had to fight two people off so far from helping themselves to it. Yes, it’s that good.

This is a half recipe, it feels like a good size for me to have around. Another nice thing I’m noticing about this cake – it’s still moist and delicious after two or three days on the counter.

Egg-Free, Sugar-Free, Grain-Free, Nut-Free Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

3/4 cup peeled, cooked, mashed sweet potato

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 – 5 droppers full Stevia extract, depending on how much sweet you like (about 50 – 125 drops)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup coconut butter, melted

2 Tbsp coconut oil, melted

1 Tbsp ground flax seed (ground chia seed would work as well) or 1 Tbsp gelatin melted into 1/4 cup of water

1/2 tsp Celtic sea salt

1/4 – 1/2 cup raw cacao powder, depending on how dark you like your cakes

3/4 cup ground pumpkin seeds (I used a coffee grinder) or almond flour if you tolerate nuts

1 tsp baking soda

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F.

Mix all the wet ingredients together well, using a food processor if you have one. I only had a hand mixer, which worked just fine.

Mix the dry ingredients together.

Blend the two mixtures together well.

Spread in a small greased casserole dish or other appropriately sized oven proof pan, about 8 inches across. Line the dish with parchment paper if you want to turn it out after it’s cooked, but if you don’t mind eating it like a brownie, that’s not necessary.

Bake 35 minutes, and let cool completely before cutting and eating. Try not to eat it all at once, and try not to bite the hand of anyone who threatens to run away with it.

Addendum, 12/28 – I just made this with kabocha squash in place of the sweet potato, and gelatin instead of the flax or chia, and it worked just fine. Score for SCD diet!

This entry was posted on Monday, July 8th, 2013 at 7:49 pm and is filed under Food Sensitivities, Health and Nutrition, Integrating Lifestyle Changes, Just for Fun!, Recipes, The Simple Kitchen. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.