These days, when you walk down the grocery store aisles, boxes and labels scream things like "LOW FAT", "SUGAR-FREE", "DIET". It's all around us all the time: calorie counting, diets, health fads, no fat, no carbs, no sugar, no nothing.
As an avid baker and consumer of desserts, I have always tended down the path of moderation, sticking to my belief that anything that has had fat or sugar removed from it is not going to be nearly as enjoyable, so why even bother. My philosophy? Better to enjoy the fat and sugar in moderation than not at all.
Anyone who knows me knows that when I bake, I go decadent or I go home.
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| Red Velvet Cupcakes |
Case in point.
And generally speaking sugar and butter (lots of butter) are synonymous with decadent.
(This is probably why many of my friends and family blame me for significant weight gain when they hang out with me too often.) (whoops)
BUT that doesn't mean I'm not up for a challenge every now and then. And a challenge, I was met with indeed.
A few weeks ago, I was asked to bake a cake for my cousin's 30th birthday, and was informed that it needed to be diabetes-friendly.
Diabetes-friendly?
You mean...
...no sugar???
I immediately took to the interwebs to find a solution. On principle, I try to avoid using artificial sweeteners, if only for the semi-unpredictable effects on taste and texture. But outside of using splenda or truvia, I was coming up empty handed.
Until it hit me: PALEO.
Paleo diets stay away from all things processed, so if anyone would know how to make a cake without artificial sweeteners or sugar, it would be Paleo.
I immediately went to a great
Paleo blog and though she didn't have quite what I was looking for, I eventually ended up here:
http://paleospirit.com
And that's how I found the gluten-free, dairy-free, sugar-free chocolate cake that is probably the healthiest thing to ever be baked in my oven.
Paleo Chocolate Cake
Yields one 8 to 10 inch round or square cake (1 layer)
Here's what you need:
10 dates, pitted
1 ripe banana (or 1 cup applesauce)
3 eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil (I used a stronger one to emphasize the coconut flavor)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Here's what you do:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8 or 9 inch square pan or 10 inch round (I used a spring form)
Puree the dates in a food processor or blender. (Be forewarned, they are real sticky and need a lot of encouragement)
Add banana and continue to pulse until pureed and combined with the dates.
Put the fruit purée to the bowl of a stand mixer, add the eggs, vanilla, coconut oil and coffee and mix on low-medium speed until well combined.
Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix on low-speed, scraping down the sides, until you have a smooth batter.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Regarding the
topping:
This cake is delicious just by itself, but it is nice to have a topping. You could use any form of buttercream, ganache, or whipped cream. I made whipped cream (which promptly relieved this dessert of it's dairy-free status) and sprinkled coconut flakes on top. Rumor has it coconut cream is whippable and makes a delightful topping.
The general consensus is that this recipe is not only diabetes-friendly and tolerable for those who are gluten-intolerant, but also rich and decadent (and absolutely delicious). No sugar?
Who'd thunk.
