Have you all recovered from the holidays? Eaten and drank your way through a gazillion pounds of salad and fruit? Good, now you’re ready to get back to real life, and just in time too, your poor body is starving for chocolate (I’m basing this solely on a singular experience, mine, and generalizing because I can’t possibly be alone in this, right?).

I compromise with my body, I get to fill my desperate chocolate craving and it gets to stay healthy. ish (the word on the healthy-ness of chocolate is not terribly convincing but it MAKES US HAPPY).

It’s time for a little devilish play.

This cake recipe is free of all grains (and therefore gluten free, yes I’ve been asked that),  free of dairy, free of nuts, it uses coconut sugar and maple syrup to sweeten (except the donut glaze). It does contain eggs, I haven’t been successful (yet) in the grain free vegan category.

This cake calls for coconut milk yogurt, see my excellent recipe here and here to make delicious additive-free VEGAN yogurt at home. You will also need tiger nut flour which is a wonderful flour made from a pre-biotic fibre rich teeny tuber, so you’ll want it anyway.

And it makes killer donuts:

I don’t have pretty step-by-step pictures. You’ll be fine.

CHOCOLATE DEVIL’S FOOD CAKE

(grain free, dairy free, nut free)

Makes one round cake, 8 cupcakes or 12 donuts

Dry ingredients:

1 cup tiger nut flour

1/3 cup good quality cocoa powder

1/2 cup arrowroot powder

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup coconut sugar

2 tsp psyllium husk powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon (if desired)

Wet ingredients:

3 eggs at room temperature, beaten

1/4 cup maple syrup (or coconut nectar)

1/2 cup melted coconut oil

1/2 cup coconut milk yogurt 

Method: Pre-heat oven to 350*

Coat your chosen pan with a baking spray or coconut oil (8-9 inch springform, donut mold, or muffin tin for cupcakes, or use liners).

In a small bowl whisk to combine all dry ingredients, pressing out any lumps, set aside.

In a medium bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk room temperature eggs. If your eggs are cold the coconut oil will not emulsify into the wet batter (you can warm cold eggs by placing them in warm water 30 minutes before cracking them open, changing the water after 15 min). Add remaining wet ingredients and whisk until fully blended and thick, a minute or two.

Combine dry and wet ingredients blending until completely incorporated. Pour batter into spring form pan or spoon evenly into donut mold, filling nearly full.

Bake cake for 50-60 minutes, bake donuts 20-30 min and bake cupcakes 30-40 min; until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with crumbs but not wet. Let cool before unmolding.

Leave cake whole or, once cooled, slice in two through the center to create a layer.

Coconut Milk Ganache

Makes enough for a cake with one layer, cupcakes, donuts with some leftover (but that is no problem, right?)

1 cup dairy free chopped chocolate or chocolate chunks

1 cup full fat coconut milk, using all the firm coconut milk and enough of the thin milk to equal one cup

2 Tbsp coconut oil

Method:

Place chocolate and coconut oil in a heat proof or stainless bowl. Bring coconut milk almost to a boil then pour over chocolate. Stir well to combine, let cool to room temperature then refrigerate.  Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat the ganache until thick and fluffy. This ganache will soften at room temperature, so keep it refrgerated until ready to use.

Once cake or cupcakes have cooled use a spatula to spread frosting fancifully.

 

Coconut Milk Glaze with Raspberries

2 cups organic powdered sugar (plus more if needed to acheive desired consistancy)

1/4 cup warm full fat coconut milk (stirred well)

2 Tbsps crushed freeze dried raspberries, plus more for topping

Method:

Whisk powdered sugar into warmed coconut milk, add crushed raspberries, adjust consistency by adding more powdered sugar a teaspoonful at a time, or adding water a few drops at a time. The glaze should be thick but still pourable.

Once donuts are cool enoungh to pop out of their molds, place them on a rack set over  parchment paper or a baking sheet. Spoon glaze over each one, letting it drip down the sides a bit ( it shouldn’t be so thin that it runs over the donut). Press freeze dried raspberries onto tops of donuts.

EAT. Share. Enjoy.