Decadent Chocolate Vegan Cake

Written by: Rosemary Seguin, CNP, NNCP

What happens when you bake cocoa powder, spelt flour and coconut oil together? You get a delicious, healthy, nutrient dense, chocolate cake that will keep you coming back for more!!  The best part is, it’s so easy to make, you can whip it up in a pinch during the holidays, or any time of year, and I promise you, it will be enjoyed by all!

This is one of my families favourite cakes. My 3 year old and I have a great time making it together. No electric mixers required so it’s totally child friendly baking at its best!  And kids will absolutely LOVE this cake too. It makes a great birthday cake and the healthy ingredients make it a guiltless indulgence!

To make this cake I used whole grain, stone ground organic spelt flour. Spelt has been around since 5000 B.C., it’s similar to wheat but has a wonderful nutty flavor to it and contains more protein and offers a broader spectrum of nutrients compared to other grains in the wheat family. Spelt is a great source of B vitamins, manganese, iron, zinc, dietary fiber (4g per ¼ cup) and protein (4g per ¼ cup). It’s a wonderful alternative to wheat and I encourage you to try using spelt flour to replace wheat flour in other recipes as well. It’s great for making cakes, muffins, breads and pastas and for those that are sensitive to wheat, spelt is usually tolerated quite well as it is easier to digest. It is not however, gluten free.

Unsweetened cocoa powder is what makes this chocolate cake so rich and decadent! Natural unsweetened cocoa (not Dutch processed) contains health-protecting, disease-fighting flavonoids (powerful antioxidants), vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C and E, pantothenic acid, magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium and manganese. Choosing cocoa in the form of unsweetened powder helps preserve all the wonderful health benefits the cocoa bean possesses. Not only can you use unsweetened cocoa powder in baking, you can also use it to make a “healthy” version of hot cocoa sweetened with some unpasteurized honey, stevia or maple syrup. You can add it to your oatmeal, millet, or other breakfast cereal of your choice, or even in a protein shake or smoothie! For a real treat you can even add it to your freshly brewed organic coffee with some cinnamon, stevia and almond milk for a delicious healthier Café Mocha.    

Coconut oil is a healthy replacement to your common vegetable oils because of its high heating point and the many incredible health benefits it has such as:  

·         Increases metabolism and efficiently metabolizes fat

·         Promotes weight loss and is easily digested

·         Excellent source of lauric acid to support the bodies immune system

·         Contains no harmful trans fatty acids

·         Helps control Diabetes

·         Reduces the risk of heart disease

Chocolate Coconut Vegan Cake with Chocolate Glaze:

Ingredients:

1 ¼ cup spelt flour (whole grain, stone ground)

½ cup organic cane sugar

1/3cup + 1 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp sea salt

1 cup warm pure filtered water

1 tsp pure vanilla extract (optional)

1/3 cup melted virgin or extra virgin coconut oil

1 tsp apple cider vinegar

Chocolate Glaze Recipe:

2 Tbsp Cane Sugar

2 Tbsp virgin or extra virgin Coconut oil

2 Tbsp  Almond or Rice milk (regular or vanilla)

2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp pure vanilla extract (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt and whisk together well. Add warm water, melted coconut oil, vanilla and vinegar. Whisk together until smooth and creamy, no clumps.

Pour into a greased and dusted/floured 8×8 in pan. Dusting Tip: Use coconut oil to grease the pan, then put parchment paper on the bottom of the pan (cutting it to size), grease the paper with coconut oil and use cocoa powder to dust it instead of flour!  

Place in oven and bake for 23 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not overcook as it will dry out the cake. Cool on a rack completely about 45 min – 1 hour. Carefully transfer cake to your serving plate to finish with your glaze.

Glaze:  in a small saucepan add sugar, coconut oil, milk, and cocoa and bring to a boil stirring frequently. Reduce heat to a simmer for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat add vanilla and stir for another 2 min. Pour onto cake and spread it immediately as the glaze dries fast.

Cool for 10-15min.  Enjoy on its own, with your favourite non dairy ice cream or non dairy whip cream!