Chocolate Cake
This is one of my favorite chocolate cakes that only takes 10 minutes to prepare if you feel like a little chocolate therapy. Made from fresh dates, raw cacao, orange, cinnamon and walnuts.
What’s good about it:
Dates give a lovely natural sweetness that replace traditional cane sugar. They are also high in minerals, potassium, chromium, maganesium and iron.
Cacao is high in magnesium and iron and contains more antioxidants than red wine or green tea. Cacao also contains compounds that act as stimulants believed to boost serotonin and endorphin levels in the brain. It contains the stimulants theobromine and caffeine that can increase alertness and give you a pleasurable sensation similar to the high people get after exercise.
Walnuts are a delicious source of omega 3 EFA’s (essential fatty acids) which are critical for good health. However, the body cannot make them on its own. For this reason, omega-3 fatty acids must be obtained from food, thus making outside sources of these fats “essential.” Health benefits of omega 3 are helping to lower cholesterol levels, reduce high blood pressure, improves symptoms of arthritis, improves mental health as the brain is 60% fat and needs omega 3 to function properly.
Cake
500g walnuts
2 heaped tablespoons raw cocoa powder
1 tablespoon ground linseed or chia seed
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
16 pitted fresh dates
zest from 1 orange + a little juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate frosting
1/4 cup organic honey
2 ripe avocadoes
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup raw cocoa powder
Raspberry sauce
300g raspberries
1/4 cup orange juice
1-2 tablespoons honey
Combine walnuts, cocoa powder, linseed (flaxseed) or chia, cinnamon and salt.
Process until ground, but not too fine.
Add dates, orange zest and vanilla.
Process again. Test and see if the cake starts to come together when pressed, if not add the juice of 1/2-1 orange then process again.
Press cake into a 15-20cm small round baking tin – spring form is best. I normally line the cake tin with baking paper first so I can easily remove the cake afterward.
Spread over chocolate frosting. If using.
Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Serve wedge of cake with a drizzle of raspberry sauce.
Serves 20
Nutritonal Info with frosting:
Protein: 4 g
Total fat: 19 g
Saturated: 1.6 g
Carbs: 7 g
kilojoules: 890
Calories: 213
How to make the Chocolate frosting
Raspberry sauce
Combine the ingredients into a blender until smooth or just smash up with a fork if you want a nice rustic effect.
This looks absolutely amazing!!! I’ll see you demonstrating on Sunday.
I have all the ingredients to make this masterpiece at home. Cacao is exactly what I need right now – I’m recovering from an injury and can’t exercise. Your sentence about giving people a natural high, just like exercise really jumped out at me!
Hi, this does look fantastic, and I’m keen to have a go. I’m sure the children won’t be able to resist and it will be a great opportunity to get some more vitamins and minerals in my teenage son’s diet! But where do I buy raw cacao?
Thanks
Louise
Just wondering whether you will be doing the same demonstration on the Saturday and Sunday or whether it will be different on each day?
Looking forward to it !!
Any health shop should have it Natasha..otherwise you can just use a good quality organic cocoa powder. TX:)
Hi Natasha Demo on Saturday is about 4.30 start – 5.15. I’ll be making pancakes and the amazing detox salad. Sunday demo is about 3.35 and I’ll be making the chocolate cake and stuffed mushroom pizza. T:)
This looks AMAZING! I am inspired! Any chance there is an appropriate substitute for orange? I’m allergic.
Thanks so much and have a fabulous day!
All good Amy, just add a touch of apple juice or water to help it all bind together nicely.
you pretty much just made my day
This is at least one of the things I can indulge in without feeling guilty about! As I have an intolerance to walnuts please could you suggest a subsitute.
I have slowly been working through recipes for gluten and dairy free but still struggle to find simple easy to follow ones until your receipes were emailed to me by my friend Nicky Parkin in Perth. All I can say is a very big Thank you.
Hi Mags, thanks for your email. I also love making this cake with raw almonds or a mixture of almonds and pistachio to give it a little moroccan feel. They go wonderfully well with the dates and orange in the recipe.
Thanks Teresa I will certainly try with the almonds and pistachio.
I have just made this cake, it is amazing Thankyou Teresa
Thanks great ! It’s my favorite and so easy to make. I’ll be making one this Friday for a dinner party.
I was so skeptical about the avocado icing but thought I should try it. It is so yummy. can’t tell it’s avocado. The cake is great too but I’m sure I will be back for the icing!
I’m not sure if it’s possible but can you substitute anything for the avocado and vanilla (due to intolerance)?
This looks wonderful, like all your recipes Teresa.
I cannot eat avocados. Can you suggest a substitute?
Wow! Delicious. Amazing that a chocolate cake can be so healthy. Loving your recipes. Thank you!
Hey Teresa, this recipe looks amazing. I was wondering if you could use almond meal instead of raw almonds or walnuts & I too was wondering if there was a substitute for the avocado? Thanks
Hi Teresa,
I’m loving your website (new to it). In the first step of the recipe instructions it mentions an ingredient called maca – which is not listed in the ingredients. Is that a typo or something I don’t know about?
Thanks
Hey Sue – Ah Yes – this is optional….I’ve taken it out of the recipe to make it easier…..:)