Chocolate cake reminds me of my mother, who in my humble opinion, baked the best chocolate cake on earth. It was coated in a creamy, buttery frosting that wasn’t too awfully sweet. This cake is a single-layer, dim tribute to her shining, multi-tiered one – but it is rich, moist, and bursting with warm, complex flavors from the orange and spices. The sweet potato replaces butter/oil and the frosting couldn’t be easier: melted chocolate chips sprinkled with chopped nuts (toasted coconut would be nice, too).
I shared this recipe on Healthy Vegan Friday over at The Veggie Nook.
Chocolate Sweet Potato Spice Cake
Serves 8+
3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tbsp. Cafix (herbal coffee)
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. cardamom
pinch allspice
2 tsp. powdered stevia
zest of one orange
1 1/2 cups non-dairy milk
1 cup orange juice
1 cup roasted sweet potato
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup xylitol (or equivalent amount of sugar)
1 cup walnuts, divided
1 1/4 cups semi-sweet vegan chocolate chips, divided
Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly spray a 10″ springform pan with oil.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, Cafix, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice, stevia and orange zest. Set aside.
In a food processor, combine the non-dairy milk, orange juice, sweet potato, vanilla extract, applesauce, and xylitol. Process until smooth. Pour mixture into dry ingredients and stir until well-combined. Stir in 1/2 cup of the walnuts and 1/4 cup of the chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Put the pan on a cooling rack and sprinkle the remaining 1 cup of chocolate chips over the top of the hot cake. Let sit for a few minutes to melt and then spread the chocolate evenly over the cake. Sprinkle on the walnuts and gently press them into the melted chocolate. After about 15 minutes, remove the outer ring of the pan and let the cake cool completely before slicing.
