Superb Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake

 

Alright, people.  Recipe #12 is a major gift.  This is, hands down, my personal favorite recipe to make and eat on a regular basis.  It is DELICIOUS.  One would never guess that this cake is chalk full of good-for-you ingredients.  It tastes like a fudgy, decadent, dense, rich chocolate cake.  However unlike a typical chocolate cake which is loaded with sugar, calories, bad-for-you fat and all sorts of things that are terrible for your body, this one is gluten-free, refined sugar-free and lactose free!!  It hits all three health points.

For about a month, I was whipping up this bad boy every weekend.  Its that good.  On second thought, you might not want to try out this recipe.  It will change the way you eat chocolate cake forever.  The recipe may sound and look slightly complicated to initial onlookers.  Dont worry, its not.  After making it twice, I have the process memorized.  Its super easy to throw together.  And then you have the awesomeness of a healthy chocolate cake in your house for enjoying alongside of your tea and coffee for the next week.  You’re welcome 😉

Sweet Potato Chocolate Cake

For the cake

2 cups of sweet potato, already prepared and mashed

¾ cup of coconut milk

½ cup of honey

2 tablespoons of vanilla extract

1 egg

1 ½ cup of rice flour

½ cup of coconut sugar

½ cup of cocoa powder

1 teaspoon of baking powder

Chocolate chips

 

For the frosting

1 cup of sweet potato, already prepared and mashed

½ cup of coconut sugar

½ cup of sunflower butter

½ cup of cocoa powder

6-7 tablespoons of coconut milk

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees f/176 degrees C.
2. Cook the sweet potatoes. I do this by using a fork to stab holes into the sweet potato all over the surface and then microwaving the sweet potato for 4-6 minutes.  The sweet potato is done when you can push a fork into it easily.  If it’s still hard/firm, microwave for longer until you can easily push a fork into the surface.
3. Once the sweet potatoes are done, cut two of them in half (no need to bother peeling them, you are just scooping out the insides) and spoon the insides of the cooked sweet potato into a medium bowl. Be careful, they will be hot.  Then use a fork to mash them.
4. Once the sweet potato is well mashed, add in the coconut milk, honey, vanilla and egg. Mix well with a fork until ingredients are combined.
5. In a separate bowl, mix together the rice flour, coconut sugar, cocoa powder and baking powder.
6. Add the dry ingredients into the liquid sweet potato mixture. Stir until all ingredients are well combined.  The batter will have a look and consistency similar to brownie dough.
7. Add in the chocolate chips.
8. Pour half of the batter into a lightly greased 8 inch square baking dish or round cake pan.
9. Bake for roughly 20-25 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove first cake layer from the oven, remove the cake from the pan and place on a cooling rack or plate.  Set aside to cool.
10. Pour the remaining batter into the cake pan and bake the second layer of the cake.
11. Once both cake layers are finished baking, allow both to cool completely.
12. Meanwhile, prepare the frosting. Combine 1 sweet potato (the same way you did the previous two, just spooning out the already-cooked inside of the sweet potato into a bowl), coconut sugar, sunflower butter, cocoa powder and coconut milk in a bowl.  With an electric mixer, beat on medium from 30 seconds to 1 minute.  Just until all ingredients are combined and it looks like a chocolate frosting.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
13. Once cake layers are completely cool, place one on a plate. Frost the top of it.  Place the other cake layer atop this smothering of frosting and use the rest of the frosting to cover the cake.
14. Cover and refrigerate finished cake for at least one hour before cutting and serving.
15. This cake is best enjoyed cold, when fresh out of the fridge. Top with berries for an even more delicious dessert.  I love mine covered in raspberries, blueberries or blackberries.

This cake can be stored in a Tupperware container for up to 4 days.  Keep leftovers cold just until you want to eat a slice.