Healthier Chocolate Cake

Gluten free, refined sugar free, with dairy free option!

This is my go-to cake I have been making for 15 years!!!

 

Back in the day (college, obviously those were the days) when I began baking instead of studying (procrasti-baking, if you will), I was also on a journey to eat healthier. I started experimenting with "real" recipes and attempting to make them a little less indulgent. It started out with a lot of flops. And when I say flops, I really mean it. Cakes would fall apart, cookies would be so dry they'd such the moisture out of your mouth, and muffins would taste like cardboard. There are two secrets to the perfect gluten free, low sugar cake: oat flour and coconut sugar. 

Oat flour is the perfect replacement for wheat flour in cookies, cakes, and muffins because it has a nice flavor profile but also retains moisture. Plus, it is so cheap and easy to make yourself! Simply buy in bulk oats and blend them in a food processor or blender until a fine consistency is achieved. If you don't want to make it yourself, I love getting a bulk bag from Bob's Red Mill. 

Coconut sugar works wonderfully in recipes that contain cocoa powder, because it doesn't affect the color of the treat. It is a little less ideal in "white" cakes, as you'll inevitably end up with more of a beige/ tan cake (that still tastes great). The easiest way to cut down on sugar is switch from refined cane sugar, and to simply use less sugar in the recipe! I find that in most American recipes you can cut the sugar by 1/3 to 1/2 the original amount and it will still be plenty sweet. You can't do this with desserts like meringue, however, as these depend on the sugar for a chemical reaction and consistency. 

This recipe was inspired by the Barefoot Contessa herself; she has a recipe for a chocolate cake that is so delicious. I was determined to make this into a healthier, lower sugar version. Since I nailed it, I have been baking this cake for every occasion - birthdays, holidays, anniversaries. I have never gotten anything but good feedback. I hope you enjoy it, too! Make sure to follow the steps closely, especially if using coconut oil, as you want the cake batter to be really smooth. 

Ingredients

• 2 cups oat flour (blend oats in food processor into flour)
• 1 ½  cups coconut palm sugar (or 1 cup coconut sugar + 10 drops stevia)
• ¾ cups cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
• ½ cup milk ½ cup yogurt* (dairy or nondairy both work!)
• ½ cup avocado or coconut oil (melted)
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee**

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F
2. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper.
3. Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and set aside.
4. In the bowl of a mixer with a paddle attachment (a hand mixer works fine as well), combine the buttermilk, eggs, and vanilla.
5. If you are using coconut oil, slowly stream the oil down the side of the bowl and into the rest of the liquid as you run the machine on low. This will ensure it doesn't solidify and become chunky.
6. With the mixer still on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
7. Turn the mixer off, then add the hot coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. It will appear really watery! This is fine.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
9. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely before frosting.

Notes 

*If using greek yogurt, change the ratio to 3/4 cup milk 1/4 cup yogurt. You can also replace with 1 cup buttermilk

**coffee should be hot when added to the batter at the end, right before pouring into cake rounds