From Maria-Carin Gala’s Organic Kitchen.

Here it is. A chocolate cake. A gluten-free, refined sugar-free, vegan chocolate cake with sneaky zucchini! It’s nutritious; it’s moist and finger-licking delicious. If you’re making this for your kids don’t tell them about the zucchini. If nuts aren’t on the menu, just exchange the almond meal with 3/4 cup of gluten-free flour. Too easy. If you want to serve this cake with the icing you’ll have to make everything 4 hours, or so, in advance. The icing has to firm and you’ll have to let the cake cool completely before lavishly spreading it all over. If you are impatient, you can also serve the cake warm with the icing poured over it. From experience both ways are totally divine.

Makes 1 small to medium round cake tin

Dry ingredients

1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 cup cacao powder
1 tsp bi-carb soda
1 small pinch salt
3/4 cup coconut sugar, or rapadura sugar

Wet ingredients

2 tbsp flaxmeal, soaked in 1/2 cup rice milk or water for about 30 minutes
3/4 cup rice milk
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup coconut oil
1 tsp vanilla extract

More ingredients

1 medium zucchini, 150g roughly or 1 cup
Decadently optional: 1/3 cup of sugar-free vegan chocolate chips

Action!

Preheat oven to 180 C.

Mix the flaxmeal with the water, stir and allow to sit for about 30 minutes or more.

Grate the zucchini coarsely.

Add your remaining wet ingredients to the flaxseed mixture.

Combine your dry ingredients in a different bowl, then bring the wet and dry mixes together.

Add the zucchini and choc chips if using, and pour into your small to medium tin.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Allow to cool, then serve. If you cut this cake while it’s still warm it will crumble, but that’s not such a bad thing anyway, more fingers to lick.

Enjoy!

Tip

For the cake you can use other oils too, such as sunflower, rice bran or even olive oil; all make delicious inconspicuous alternatives.

Try this cake with carrot or pumpkin instead of the zucchini! Or perhaps add a few soaked and chopped prunes as a sweet digestive addition to the batter.

Of course hazelnut meal instead of almond meal is delicious too. If you like it crunchy, add a few toasted walnuts roughly chopped to the mix.

You can also just break up some chocolate instead of buying actual choc chips.

The world is open to possibilities.

Chocolate Avocado Icing

Don’t worry about the avocado in this now quite-famous vegan icing. Just sit back and enjoy the thick, rich chocolate texture. You will need a blender, hand held mixer, or small food processor for this recipe. You could also dip strawberries in this decadent cream, or serve it with raspberries as a chocolate mousse. Freeze some if you’ve made too much and have it ready for a lazy cooking moment for a surprising dessert. It will keep you awake if eaten late at night, really. Either way mhhhhh heaven on earth…..

Makes enough for spreading on 1 medium cake

Ingredients

2 large, very ripe avocados
1/2 cup maple syrup, plus extra to taste if needed
1/2 cup rice milk
1/2 cup cacao powder, sifted, extra to taste if needed
1 generous dash of vanilla extract
A little sprinkle of salt to bring out the sweetness

Optional: 2 tbsp coconut oil

Action!

Blend everything to a smooth and creamy consistency and taste test and add extra cacao and syrup if necessary.

Taste test again. Did I mention to taste test?

Place in the fridge to firm.

I haven’t provided exact grams for the avocado as the volume of avocados vary, but obviously this chocolate icing needs to taste sweet and chocolatey.

So, make sure you’ve added enough cacao and maple syrup. When you’ve found the perfect balance you’ll know. It’s got to be sweet and make you happy when you taste it, it’s icing after all.

Don’t give up.

Once cooled and firm you can spread it on anything, like smooth vegan magic.

Warning: Cacao contains caffein and might keep you awake at night if you eat too much of this icing just before bed.