If you’re looking for a sweet treat but prefer something with a few more nutrients, you’ve come to the right place.
This cake is a true triumph; it is both delicious and incredibly moist. There’s no white flour, sugar, butter, or oil in this recipe — just four simple ingredients.
Despite its lack of sugar, wheat, butter, or oil, this cake nonetheless manages to be decadently chocolatey. It’s ready to go into the oven after only approximately 15 minutes of prep time.
If you want the recipe, keep reading.
INGREDIENTS
- Cocoa Powder- 6 tbsp (42 g)
- Baking Powder- 2 tsp (9 g)
- Eggs- 3 large eggs
- Dates- 2 cups (295 g)
Cocoa Powder: Cocoa powder adds a rich chocolate flavor to this cake.
Eggs: The eggs are crucial to the cake’s structure, and they also add some fat and moisture to the mix.
Dates: Medjool dates are used to naturally sweeten the cake. The dates aren’t just a sweetness; they’re essential to the cake’s texture as well.
INSTRUCTIONS
Turn on oven to 350F (177C). Prepare a 6-inch springform pan by greasing and lining it with parchment paper.
Start by blending some dates in a food processor until you get a smooth paste. When done, the dates should form a ball and pull away from the sides of the food processor. If you need to know if you need to rehydrate the dates before mixing, read the notes section.
Once a date paste has formed, sift in some cocoa powder and blend until combined.
Add the baking powder and eggs. Whisk together to the point of smoothness. To make sure all the dates are mixed, you may need to scrape down your batter a few times and switch between pulsing and processing. Smoothing out your batter can take a while. Small pieces of dates are fine, but too many will make the cake taste entirely of dates.
Spoon batter into the prepared pan. Then, put it in the oven and set the timer for 30-35 minutes. If you insert a toothpick, it should come out almost clean. No need to worry if your batter isn’t completely firm. The cake should not be baked for too long. Do not cut into the cake until it has cooled completely. As the cake cools, it will flatten out a bit. Frost the cake before serving if you so choose.
HEALTHY CHOCOLATE CAKE TEXTURE
Although the texture of this cake is denser than that of a standard chocolate cake, it bakes up similarly. The cake has a nice sweetness without being sickening. You can eat it without the icing.
NOTES:
Fresh, very soft mejdool dates in their packaging can be blended without any additional preparation. If your dates seem a touch firm or dried, you may need to rehydrate them before using. You can accomplish this by soaking them for 15 minutes in warm water. After that, give it a quick pat to dry before using.
Don’t forget to take the pits out of the dates before you measure them.
Because blending the dates after adding the other ingredients will be challenging, you want to make your date paste as smooth as possible. It’s fine to add a few chopped dates to the batter, but too many will give the cake an unpleasant date flavor.
Dates have a lot of natural sugar, so even though there is no added sugar in this cake, it is still not a low sugar recipe.
Frosting
The chocolate frosting shown in the photos was made with melted coconut oil (3 tablespoons), cocoa powder (6 tablespoons), and pure maple syrup (3 tablespoons). A medium bowl, some oil, and some cocoa powder will make a delicious frosting. Mix it all together with a whisk. Your finished product should resemble melted chocolate. Put in some maple syrup. (Wait until the very end before you add the maple syrup. Adding maple syrup will make the dish more substantial. (It will be quite challenging to combine if you add it in with the other components.) Make a frosting-like consistency by whisking. A word about the frosting: dutch processed cocoa powder will not work in this recipe.
You can also use dark chocolate and heavy cream to make a ganache for the icing if you don’t have the other ingredients on hand.
Small servings are best because of the richness and density of this cake.
The icing is not included in the estimated calorie count.
NUTRITION
Carbohydrates (23g), Protein (2g), Fat (2g), Sodium (85mg), Fiber (3g), Sugar (19g), Net Carbohydrates (20g) per Serving (1 Slice) 115 Calorie
Please note that the offered nutrition data are approximations based on an online nutritional calculator.
In order to get correct information and address any dietary limitations or concerns, you should see a doctor or registered dietitian.