I've been trying to eliminate refined sugar products from my baking, on the very rare occasions these days when I have time to bake. Working with no childcare while raising a one year old, ten year old, and thirteen year old, managing their extracurricular activities (hello club soccer, tennis, piano, guitar, ski racing, basketball AND Lego robotics?!) AND trying to manage a home renovation and maintain a baseline level of cleanliness and family cohesion is EXHAUSTING. Sitting down to write this entry feels like the ultimate luxury. However, I needed to record this recipe for posterity, because it is SO good. The scant piece left in the huge pan after less than 12 hours is testament to this.
Astute readers will recognize the basics of this recipe from a previous posting... however I've changed so much of the recipe that a re-write is necessary.
So without further ado..... the world's best after-school, before-breakfast, just-trying-to-keep-the-sanity-levels-in-check-around-here! chocolate cake:
Whole grain Chocolate Fudge Cake
adapted from King Arthur Flour
You can use coconut yogurt (I like unsweetened Cocojune brand) and chia seeds as an egg substitute to make this vegan.
- 1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa
- 1 cup hot water
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup maple syrup
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 120 grams teff flour
- 120 grams white rice flour
- 2 tsp psyllium husk
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup European style maple yogurt** or buttermilk
- 2 large eggs, or 2 tablespoons chia seeds soaked in 6 tablespoons cold water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- good quality chocolate chips (Guittard or Ghiradelli brand) (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 10 x 8, or 9 x 13 pan. (I have been using a metal 10 x 14 roasting dish with great success.)
Put cocoa in a small mixing bowl and pour boiling hot water over it, whisking until smooth. Add in oil and maple syrup and whisk together.
In a large bowl whisk together all the dry ingredients. Pour the cocoa mixture over and stir until combined. Add the eggs (or chia mixture), the applesauce, the yogurt or buttermilk, and the vanilla and stir until smooth.
Pour into prepared pan and bake just until a toothpick comes out with with moist crumbs. This took about a half hour for me, but as always, bake time will depend on the baking vessel, the weather, the altitude and your oven. Do not overbake!!
Once out of the oven sprinkle chocolate chips on top of the hot cake - wait 5 minutes till they melt - then spread with a spatula. World's best and easiest frosting!
Eat with your babies and don't feel guilty.
**for yogurt, this is what I use, Trader Joe's also makes a good one; if you are using thick yogurt thin it with milk before measuring
