Forum Thermomix

Thermomix Recipes for TM5 and TM31 => Cakes => Topic started by: Vivaroo on January 14, 2012, 12:03:46 pm

Title: Healthy chocolate cake (moist date cake) with nut icing
Post by: Vivaroo on January 14, 2012, 12:03:46 pm
Been meaning to try this one for ages since reading 'Eat to Live' by Dr Fuhrman, here goes...

Healthy Chocolate Cake  Source: www.DrFuhrman.com SERVES: 12

INGREDIENTS
CAKE
1 2/3 cups whole wheat pastry flour (220g)
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 teaspoons baking soda
3 1/2 cups pitted dates, divided
1 cup pineapple chunks in own juice, drained (160g)
1 banana
1 cup unsweetened applesauce (EDC recipe, 3 apples = 1 cup)
1 cup shredded beets - 1 large peeled (120g)
3/4 cup shredded carrots 1 peeled (90g)
1/2 cup shredded zucchini 1 small (60g)
3 tablespoons natural cocoa powder
1/2 cup currants (70g)
1 cup chopped walnuts (90g)
1 1/2 cups water (270ml)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

CHOCOLATE NUT ICING:
1 cup raw macadamia nuts or raw cashews, unsalted
1 cup vanilla soy milk
2/3 cup pitted dates
1/3 cup brazil nuts or hazelnuts
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven 180oC
Mill flour sp 10 1 min.  Add baking powder & soda, mix & reserve in small bowl.
Make applesauce directions EDC p.60

While applesauce is cooking prepare other ingredients: peel beets & carrots and chop into quarters.  Chop walnuts & 1/2 cup of dates by hand, or use TMX before applesauce step.

Add to cooked applesauce 3 cups of the dates, pineapple,banana and puree.  Pour into a large bowl (or grab your 2nd TMX bowl at this point).

Grate beets, carrots, zucchini in TMX sp 5 5 secs.  Add sliced dates, cocoa powder, currants, walnuts, water, vanilla and flour mixture.  Mix sp 2 10 secs.  Combine this with the date/pineapple/apple puree, either in TMX or a large bowl and mix well. Spread in a 24cm x 34 cm nonstick baking pan.  I used 2 loaf pans.

Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.  It's a very moist cake, benefits from extra cooking & resting until cool.

ICING:
Combine all icing ingredients until smooth and creamy. Place a dollop over warm cake and serve. If desired, you may spread on cooled cake instead.  I didn't try the icing so can't comment on this part.

Tips:  I think the name of this cake is misleading, it's more of a fruit/date cake than chocolate.  It's OK if you're not expecting a rich chocolately cake.  I'm going to "sell it" as a moist date cake.  The kids didn't like it even though it was quite sweet.  I kinda like it, next time I will halve the recipe and fill muffin tin instead, it will help the cooking process.  Would benefit with addition of ginger (if you like ginger like I do).  I'm not a big dessert fan, so making a healthy cake seems like wasted effort when I could just as easy cook up a lovely healthier savoury dish... but for people craving dessert if on weight-loss/healthy lifestyle change type diet this might appeal.  I've frozen slices and will put in the kids lunches and see if they like it another time.

 I liked the cake better the next day, cold from the fridge. I used mix of spelt & wheat, the remains of what I had in the cupboard.

Members' comments

JuliaC83 - Sadly this was a big flop in my house. The texture / smell had everyone running lol.  I now have two cakes that may be going to the chickens. Was worth a try.



Title: Re: Healthy chocolate cake (moist date cake) with nut icing
Post by: faffa_70 on January 15, 2012, 01:32:47 am
Thanks Viv, I might give this a go with spelt flour I think  :)
Title: Re: Healthy chocolate cake (moist date cake) with nut icing
Post by: Vivaroo on January 15, 2012, 05:58:53 am
Faffa the mixture of banana, dates, pineapple & applesauce is sweet & yummy, would be a nice base for other cakes & slices to reduce/eliminate fat & sugar.  I liked the cake better today, cold from the fridge.  I was imagining it layered in a trifle type concoction but then I'm getting away from the 'kinda healthy' aspect  :D
I used mix of spelt & wheat, the remains of what I had in the cupboard.
Title: Re: Healthy chocolate cake (moist date cake) with nut icing
Post by: JuliaC83 on June 23, 2013, 08:15:30 am
Sadly this was a big flop in my house  :D
The texture / smell had everyone running lol I now have two cakes that may be going to the chickens  ;D
Was worth a try  :)
Title: Re: Healthy chocolate cake (moist date cake) with nut icing
Post by: cookie1 on June 23, 2013, 08:19:11 am
Oh gosh, that is awful that it didn't turn out for you.
Title: Re: Healthy chocolate cake (moist date cake) with nut icing
Post by: JuliaC83 on June 23, 2013, 08:45:26 am
I'm fairly sure the smell of the cake could be used as a weapon of mass destruction  :D
Title: Re: Healthy chocolate cake (moist date cake) with nut icing
Post by: cookie1 on June 23, 2013, 10:42:54 am
OMG it must have been bad.  :'(