Simply THE Most Decadent Healthy Chocolate Cake EVER!
I know what you’re thinking: NO WAY!
THAT CAKE? THAT ONE RIGHT THERE? IT’S ACTUALLY HEALTHY?
HECK YEAH!
And you know what? I don’t blame you one bit for having these thoughts! How could I, when even I think the exact same thing every single time I look at it, or, even better yet, get to take a bite!
I just die, people, I’m telling you.
I’ve had 3 slices so far and thought the same thing every single time: “This can’t be right. There is no way in hell that this cake can actually be healthy”. In fact, if I hadn’t made it myself, I probably wouldn’t even believe it. But since I don’t tend to lie to myself (well… I don’t tend to lie period) I have no choice but to believe me!
Before I go on, I need to seriously take a moment here to thank Erin at Texanerin Baking, for challenging me to recreate this cake.
You see, for oh, probably 15 years now, that cake, to me, had been total synonym with extreme decadence: a cake made from nothing but heavy cream, butter, sugar, eggs and dark chocolate. It was THE ultimate chocolate lover’s experience, one that never failed to throw me to the ground and leave me completely breathless…
And I’d been toying with the idea of healthifying THAT.
Right. Tough call! I wasn’t sure that I was really up to it…
But, the challenge was thrown, the rules were set.
The healthified cake was to contain no grains, no beans and was to be at least somewhat creamy or fudgy.
If said conditions were met, Erin was to replicate the recipe and post it on her own blog if the results were to her liking.
Now if you know Erin, you know that THAT’S a whole ‘nother tough call! 😉
So anyway, I accepted the challenge with great pleasure, as well as a bit of apprehension, and got started the very same week-end.
Unfortunately, my first attempt, while still extremely decent, did not send me flying straight to heaven. And I wasn’t gonna settle for just OK. I was shooting for OMG.
So sorry… try again! Back to the ole drawing board I went.
Boy! am I glad I did.
This second attempt resulted in a cake that sent me flying beyond heaven.
It’s just plain magnificent.
If you’re into rich, INTENSE dark chocolate flavour coupled with deliciously dense but smooth and creamy“cheesecake-like” texture, and if you’re looking for healthier dessert options that won’t let you down in the decadence department, then this cake is definitely for you. I mean just look at that silkiness… and don’t even get me started on the icing. Oh my!
Be.Still.My.Heart.
Now I’m not saying that this is a low fat, low cal cake that you should be enjoying for breakfast on a daily basis without feeling the least tiny bit of guilt. Well, guilt, you shouldn’t feel, for there is absolutely nothing in that cake to feel guilty about. Not even sugar. Yeah. You read that one right! This cake has no added sugar.
I really wish I could have you all taste it before you get to take a look at the list of ingredients. Unfortunately, it’s gonna have to be the other way around. And you’re also gonna have to make your own… sorry!
Luckily enough, this beauty won’t get you spending too much time in the kitchen…
So go ahead and take a look at these ingredients.
Then pick up your jaw from up the floor.
And get busy baking…
Healthy Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 3 ripe avocados
- 1 cup date paste
- 6 large eggs
- 6 egg whites
- 1½ cup organic cacao powder
- ¾ cup full fat coconut milk
- ½ cup water
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- ½ tsp Himalayan salt
For the icing
- ½ cup date paste
- ½ cup full fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- ½ cup warm water
- 1 cup organic cacao powder
Garnish ideas
- Full fat coconut milk
- you can make it thicker by leaving the can in the refrigerator overnight
- Berries, such as ground cherries, raspberries or strawberries
- Cacao nibs
- Unsweetened coconut shavings
- Fresh mint leaves
Instructions
For the cake
- Preheat oven to 375F
- Line bottom part of a spring form pan with aluminum foil and fold the edges under it. Assemble pan by putting rim back in place, then bring aluminum foil up around the exterior of the pan. Grease bottom and interior of the pan with coconut oil. Set aside.
- In your food processor, add avocados and date paste and blend until well combined and super smooth and creamy.
- Add eggs and process until smooth.
- Add the rest of the ingredients and process until well incorporated.
- Transfer your cake batter to reserved pan and bake in the oven for 28-30 minutes, until top appears darker pretty much all over. Be careful not to overcook.
- Turn the oven off, crack the door open and leave your cake in to cool for an hour or two, then transfer to the refrigerator and cool completely, at least 8 hours.
For the icing
- In your food processor, add all ingredients except cacao powder and process until well incorporated.
- Add cacao powder, about ¼ cup at a a time, and process until smooth and creamy with each addition.
- At this point, your icing should have the consistency of chocolate pudding. If you find that it is a little bit too stiff, you can help loosen it up a bit by setting over it a double boiler and whisking it gently until it has reached the desired consistency.
- Take cake out of the refrigerator and place it upside down on a serving plate.
- Pour icing right in the middle of the cake and spread it gently all the way to the edge.
- Drizzle coconut cream over icing and decorate with berries and mint leaves, if desired
Notes
If you’ve tried this recipe, please take a minute to rate the recipe and let me know how things went for you in the comments below. It’s always such a pleasure to hear from you!
You can also FOLLOW ME on PINTEREST, FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and TWITTER for more delicious, healthy recipes!
Creamy enough for you, Erin?
182 Comments on “Simply THE Most Decadent Healthy Chocolate Cake EVER!”
I wish I had a piece of this cake right now!! Can’t wait to try it but I’m probably going to wait until I get back from my trip in a few weeks because I’m afraid I’ll eat the whole thing and then not fit into any of my clothes!!
LOL Joann! Too funny! I can’t wait for you to try it and share your impressions with me. Where are you going?
I wish I was going to Aruba but I’m just meeting up with some friends in Milwaukee to go to a few concerts. I might make the cake this Wednesday and take most of it to the spa with me on Thursday to prevent myself from eating it all in one or two servings!
this looks awesome but i wonder what the fat count would be? avocados, eggs, coconut milk and oil? is there any way to make this with less fat?
I agree, Monica… like I said, this is NOT a low cal, low fat cake. However, considering that this serves 16, the fat content wouldn’t be that outrageous on a per slice basis I guess! Totally worth indulging if you ask me! 😉
Wow! It’s beautiful and definitely looks way more than “somewhat” fudgy. I love the ingredients and am so happy I have everything! As soon as the dishwasher is done, I’m going to get started. One thing I didn’t count on was needing 12 eggs so I might have to make half a cake. We’ll see. 🙂
Haha. No beans is just so random. No grains, no beans. I must sound like a weirdo. I’ve tried baking with them several times and I just can’t handle it.
When I told my husband to come look at the challenge cake he asked if you had won. I told him that it wasn’t really something you could win, because it wasn’t a contest, but obviously, you won. Congratulations. 🙂
Awwww… thank you so much Erin! As always, you are just the sweetest thing. Sorry, I forgot to tell you that you would be needing so many eggs… I so can’t wait to see your version! Well, if you end up liking it, that is! Can’t wait to find out!
I really want to try this. I’ve been wanting to bake with avocado and date paste for ages and this seems like the perfect excuse. I can’t imagine how all those ingredients will combine into something that looks as amazing as the photo, but I trust you! Although it’s probably still quite calorific, right, even though it’s healthy? Avocado, coconut milk, dates, etc… Congratulations on rising to your challenge, it looks like you’ve pulled it off!
Thanks a bunch, Elly! You’re right, I guess it’s right up there on the caloric scale, but I think that it’s very well worth the little indulgence. Plus, it’s not like it’s all bad for you, you know… so you don’t have to feel so guilty about indulging… 😉
Wait, what?! I have to wait 8 hours?! Wah. I wish I would have read the full instructions first. I just put my cake in the oven and I have a lasagna that needs to go in as soon as the cake’s finished. I guess that could result in some cracks, but that’s okay. And I’m going to carve out a piece. I’m not capable of waiting hour hours! It looks good! And what size spring form? I went with a 10.5″ because it looked like a huge amount but I imagine a 9″ would work too.
So you HAVE made it and tasted it??? Whoa, wait… did I miss something? Have you tasted it? Need to read some more…
Oh, and as for the pan, I used a 9″. I might want to add that to the instructions.
I haven’t cut a real piece but go read your email! 🙂
In case anyone was wondering why I haven’t left feedback, it’s because I messed up my cake. There will be a redo, though. 🙂
So sorry that your first try didn’t turn… I truly hope that your second try goes better. Fingers crossed! 🙂
Hey Erin, I just had a flash… what kind of avocados did you use? Maybe that could also be the culprit! I remember us talking about the fact that the the “default” variety where you are is much bigger than the Hass variety we usually find in food stores around here! Might be worth looking into?!
I went and bought the Hass variety just for this. 🙂 But it was a good idea! I’m pretty much positive it’s the date thing because that was waaay off and it explains everything. I’m looking forward to my next attempt!
I look forward to it too! 🙂
My avocados were bitter, too! The cake was slightly bitter, I believe, as a result. Still tasty! I have a new bag of avocados and am going to try again. Thank you so much- all the butter and sugar in my normal flourless cake gives me heartburn (because I eat too much in one sitting. Like, half the cake)
OMG! I am going to find an excuse to make this ASAP! I am so not a chocolate flourless person but this looks incredible!!!! Thank you for the fantastic recipe!!
this.is.unreal.
you are my hero! not only do you live across the pond from me – but you made THIS chocolate cake!
thank you <3
Sonia! Oh my goodness. I just came across your site and I LOVE it! Love this cake, love the ingredients….holy fazoli-thank you!
What a stunning cake! I made a flourless chocolate cake once, but it involved chickpeas. I don’t mind grains nor beans, but I do love that this is totally sweetener-free!
Oooooo, (wiping drool of my chin) Now THAT looks incredibly good. I can’t wait to try the flavors in it. It sure sounds absolutely delicious and look at that gorgeous moist inside… Mmm…
Thank you so much Simone, I am so incredibly flattered! Make sure you let me know how it turns out if you end up trying it !:)
Looks fantastic! I think it’s wonderful that it’s made with no sugar at all. And I don’t believe in low fat anyway…fat is good for us!
Thank you Carolyn! I totally agree with you that fat is good for us… so long as it’s the good kind, though! 😉
Hi Sonia! Long-time reader, first-time commenting! I am a the-darker-and-richer-the-better kinda girl when it comes to chocolate and feel it is IMPERATIVE that I made this cake soon. How many dates would you estimate that you used total? Thank you!
I can’t really tell you how many dates I used, for I tend to use “packaged” pitted dates to make the paste, and they tend to be a little bunched up and stuck together, making them fairly hard to count. 450g of dates yields one large (half a liter) Mason jar and I used about three quarters of that jar.
Hope this helps and thank your for “manifesting” yourself, I truly appreciate your comment. If you’re all for dark and rich chocolate, then this cake should be right up your alley! Please, do let me know how you liked it if you end up trying it!
I’ve been on a flourless chocolate truffle cake high ever since I read Cludia Roden’s recipe. And then came David Lebovitz with his masterpiece followed by Molly Wizenberg with her staple. And now this. I think its going to take a lot of cake-eating therapy for me to get over these fudgy delights!
Great photographs.
Oh wow, that looks beyond amazing; like a giant, fudge-mousse brownie! Unfortunately, I’m not a coconut gal so I think I’m just going to have to admire from afar. D;
Well, to be honest, Kat… I don’t find that you can taste the coconut at all. It’s really intensely chocolaty, that IS what really comes at you with that cake!
Thanks for your nice comment, I truly appreciate that 🙂
I can’t find extra dark cocoa powder is it okay to use regular cocoa powder?
Sure thing, Allison! You just won’t get quite as dark and rich a color, and the taste will probably be a little less intense, but it should turn out really good still! 🙂
This cake looks amazing, could you tell me what the shelf life is, does it need to be kept refrigerated?
I’ve had mine for 8 days in the refrigerator and it was still amazing. I wouldn’t push it passed that, though. And yes, definitely, keep that baby in the fridge. It’s much better cold, anyway! 😉
Have just added the icing and it looks awesome. The icing tastes sooo good and I’m taking the cake to celebrate my late grandfathers 90th birthday ( which he only missed by 2 months) and for Anzac( Aussie memorial) day. Can’t wait to try the completed thing!!! will let u know what every one thinks, they are all scoffing at the avocados in it….
Oh yay!!!! SO glad to hear! Thanks a bunch for sharing, Mary! Can’t wait for you to actually taste it! Looking forward to your impressions! 🙂
Sign me up! This could count for a breakfast, right??
Well, it might not be the “healthiest” option, but it sure beats a couple of pop tarts or frozen waffles drenched in sugar syrup… So yeah, I guess you could very well have that for breakfast if you wanted to, Ali! 😉
It was great!!! Even my picky uncle thought it was good, although my sneaky toddler wouldn’t eat it coz it wasn’t sweet enough. I prob needed to cook it a but longer, I gave it about 45 mins but even then it was a little too soft in the centre and I would prob add a little bit more date paste and slightly less cocoa, as it was really really strong cocoa taste( I just used normal cocoa, but it’s a strong one). But I think it also would have been fine if I’d remembered to bring the cream and raspberries I has. I also jus used vegetable oil in the icing, and I’m pretty sure I forgot the water…. But it still had the right consistency, and next time I may even just use the rest of my coconut milk instead of the oil. All in all it was a great success and I thought it was delicious. I would def make it again as a dessert cake, and I love that it’s all full of natural good stuff. You’ve inspired me to bake more things like this, next I want to try cookies using chickpeas, any suggestions or recipes??.
Thanks for an awesome inspiring blog!
Wow, thank you so much for such great feedback, Mary! I’m really puzzled by this whole softer consistency though… Erin sort of had the same problem. Guess I need to post a recipe to my date paste, maybe that could be the culprit. The way I make my paste, it’s really thick and creamy and uses barely no water at all. I’m thinking this could be what creates the difference in texture. Also, maybe all canned coconut milk aren’t created equal. The brand that I use is really thick, like a heavy cream…
Glad that you liked the cake still. Next time, if you want a tad more sweetness, drizzle a little bit of honey on it… it really brings it to a whole new level! Raspberry coulis would also work very well, I admit!
Thank again for taking the time to leave such awesome feedback. I truly appreciate that! 🙂
I wonder if I made the date paste right too. I like the way mine tastes but I’m not sure how much water to put in to the jar.
I’m glad you mentioned that about your coconut milk…sometimes I buy the light version which is really thin so I’ll make sure to get the regular for this recipe.
I’m aiming for Monday to try it but I have a busy week and have a mini-getaway next weekend before my trip to Milwaukee in a couple weeks and I am already stressing about everything I need to get done so it might have to wait until I get back.
I decided that I needed to create a post for the date paste alone, since there seems to be a lot of questions with regards to it, so that’s in the works now… I took measurements for that purpose, and I can fit 450g of the dried fruit into a half liter Mason jar. As far as the liquid goes, I was able to add just a little under ¾ of a cup, so it’s not much really, just enough to soften up the fruit.
As far as the coconut milk is concerned, I use savoy, which is actually labelled as Coconut Cream in English (but they use the term “Lait”, in French, which is a bit confusing) but I guess the important part of the equation is that it contains 70% coconut and 30% water. I think most milks have a 55%-45% ratio.
I can’t wait for you to try this, but hey, I can wait until you get back, you know! 😉
What brand of cocoa powder do you use?
I use Cacao Barry Extra Brute. The absolute best, if you ask me! 😉
Ehem, well. 😀 I hope Sonia doesn’t mind, but I’m just going to throw this out there: Grain-free Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites
For all your chickpea cookie needs. 🙂
(I hope this isn’t tacky! It’s not tacky, is it?! It’s just not every day (or ever) that someone asks for a chickpea cookie recipe! I was excited. I couldn’t help myself. :))
Why of course, Erin… by all means! I don’t mind at all! I need to take a look at that myself! 🙂 Thanks for posting!
Thanks! And haven’t you seen them?! Sonia! Those are the grain free peanut butter cookies I was talking about that one time! They’re so yummy and kind of healthy… at least as far as my recipes go. 🙂
Of course, I HAD seen them. I just did not compute that it was them… I clearly remember seeing them and thinking OMG, I so need to sink my teeth into one of these babies like now. I might very well be tempted to give them a try soon, especially now that I took another look at them! 😉 They DO look unbelievably yummy!
This looks BEAUTIFUL! I love that it uses date paste too. You make healthy look goooooood 😀 (and taste good too, I’m sure!)
I think maybe it was the coconut milk, it was actually coconut cream I used, but very watery. My date paste was very think and quit dry. Anyway, it was fine, just had another piece.
And thanks Erin for the chickpea co okie recipe, very interesting…. Maybe I’ll have to try that next.
Canned coconut milk is a strange thing, really… some are labelled as cream, some are labelled as milk, some are very watery while others are extremely thick and creamy. I think that the answer is in the coconut to water ratio. I used the brand Savoy, which has a 70%-30% coconut to water ratio. Before I had made this cake, I’d never realized that there such a huge difference between brands. The consistency of the milk definitely must make a difference in the end result of that cake. Real happy to hear that you liked it anyway, Mary! 🙂
Hi. Just wondering: how do you think this cake would do with prunes instead of dates? It looks delicious by the way. Maybe one day when I´m done with exams and have the time…
I wouldn’t see why it wouldn’t work, although I think prunes wouldn’t be quite as sweet as dates, so you might want to compensate by adding a little bit of honey to your paste, maybe? If you do give it a try, make sure you let me know how it turned out! 🙂
Wow, this looks amazing!
This looks amazing! I can’t believe the ingredient list. Definitely something I’ll have to try!
I have been trying to find Cacao Barry Extra Brute in Montreal do you know where I can buy it ?! Never seen it at my local grocery store.
Sadly, I don’t remember every seeing this product on the actual “Island”. I get mine at this little store called L’Univers du Vrac. They’re right off the Island, in Ile Perrot. Not exactly next door, but I’m lucky enough to pass by their store fairly regularly!
Makes me wonder why it is that we don’t have better access to decent cocoa powder… that “super light brown stuff” that we can get at the grocery store does nothing for me. Even Dutch Processed is hard to find here. What a shame!
After calling 20 stores I finally found Cacao Barry Extra Brute in Montreal!! Got it at Gourmet Laurier (1042 Avenue Laurier Ouest) got 1kg of it 🙂 Yeahhh!!!! 🙂
Alright! Way to go! So now we have 2 adresses where to buy the goods! That’s what I usually do also, buy it one kilo at a time. I still manage to run out every single time and have to resort to using the “light” stuff until I manage to go to my store. 😉
Thanks for the info, Maude! That’s truly appreciated!
We made this twice, Love it!
OH YAY! Twice, really? So very happy to hear and thanks for letting me know! 🙂
As I’m from Europe I’m curious how much ml or grams is one cup. I looked it up and the numbers differ. I’m making this cake today for my nephew’s birthday and I want it to be perfect :)! Love, love your blog!
Ooooh, Eva, I wish I had more time to answer that one! I’m actually heading out, but luckily saw this before to leave! I wish I had time to go and weigh ingredients, but unfortunately, I don’t. Luckily enough, though, some of the key ingredients I already have down.
Liquids are easy, as they all have the same volume! So a cup of liquid is 250ml. Solids, though are a different story. A cup of flour definitely doesn’t weigh the same as a cup dates.
Soooo… let’s see. One cup of date paste weighs 250g and one cup of cocoa powder weighs 100g. If you don’t mind, I’ll let you do the math… really gotta get going here!
I really hope this cakes turns out for you and that you like it as much as I did. Please let me know!!!! Thanks! 😀
Thank you for your answer. I just needed to know whether one cup equals 250 ml or 240 ml. I’ll let you know how it turned out tomorrow! Have a great day! 🙂
Uhm – I will make this for my dinner club – 12 cake lovers – on wedensday 🙂
I hope it will be a succes!
I love your recepies!
Regards,
Sofie from Denmark
Thanks a bunch Sofie! I really hope it turns out and that you all end up loving it as much as I did! Please let me know! I always appreciate getting feedback on my recipes! 🙂
Sonia, the cake was delicious. Unbelievably creamy! I used coconut flakes and a bit more of coconut milk instead of coconut oil for the icing. The icing was so good and healthy that I’ll surely use it for other cakes in the future! 🙂
Oh yay! I’m soooo very happy to read that. That is just music to my ears. Thank you so very very much for letting me know that you liked the cake! You just made my day! 😀
Do we know approx how much calories or sugar is in this cake? I’m on a program where I need to count calories and would LOVE to try this cake!!
Sorry Jessica… I haven’t crunched in the numbers…
I found a website and crunched the numbers. This is for the whole cake with the icing!
Nutrition Facts
User Entered Recipe
1 Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 3,111.3
Total Fat 188.8 g
Saturated Fat 81.1 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 16.1 g
Monounsaturated Fat 72.6 g
Cholesterol 1,110.0 mg
Sodium 2,000.7 mg
Potassium 8,182.3 mg
Total Carbohydrate 371.1 g
Dietary Fiber 107.7 g
Sugars 174.0 g
Protein 130.6 g
Vitamin A 36.5 %
Vitamin B-12 48.0 %
Vitamin B-6 62.8 %
Vitamin C 6.5 %
Vitamin D 60.0 %
Vitamin E 6.4 %
Calcium 55.2 %
Copper 466.6 %
Folate 75.8 %
Iron 256.7 %
Magnesium 329.7 %
Manganese 557.1 %
Niacin 49.7 %
Pantothenic Acid 25.6 %
Phosphorus 261.5 %
Riboflavin 101.3 %
Selenium 55.4 %
Thiamin 24.6 %
Zinc 137.4 %
Uhm! The cake was a big succes! My girls liked it – and the were very suprised that it didn’t containe any sugar – but avocados!! 😉 Next time (because there will sure be a next time!!) I will add some more dates to the cake dough – I think it was a bit too unsweet. But otherwise I simply LOVE it!
YES! So happy to hear! Thank you SO VERY MUCH Sofie for your great feedback! Glad you guys liked it. You might also try to add a little bit of honey? Works beautifully with chocolate! =D
Wow! This looks really good – it looks so deliciously moist. I’m going to have to try this 🙂
This looks so good! I can’t wait to try it! (seriously drooling) however I’m worried about the sugar in the date paste (I probably won’t worry about it the first time) but what can I use as a substitute for future cook up’s?
Glad you like and want to give this one a try, Freya! Not sure I understand your question or concern though… are you wanting to replace the dates with another form of sugar? Do you have special diet requirements that you need to meet?
Well yes, to put a long story short I can’t eat sugar. Therefore I want to replace the date paste with something without sugar, or is this an imperative ingredient to the success of the end product?
Hmmmm… I really don’t think that removing ALL forms of sugar from that cake would really work out well. I think it would be way too bitter. Plus, I think the date paste plays a big role in the overall structure of the cake. Unfortunately, I don’t think I can recommend it…
🙁 I’m so bummed I don’t like the way this has turned out. I taste the avocados a lot (which I don’t necessary hate but I wanted it to be hidden for guest) and the texture just isn’t right. I think I may have gone wrong with the date paste being too watery? Also I thought my eggwhites might be bad because they expired a few days ago- plus to me it seems like this recipe has soo many eggs. Is there a way to make it work substiuting some egg or eggwhite with chia? So sad I was so looking forward to this 🙁
I’m not getting this, Heather. I really can’t see how you would taste the avocado in the cake. I could really NOT taste it at all. There’s just way too much cocoa powder for that to happen?!!? As for the texture, it could be because of the date paste, mine is really firm and doesn’t use much water at all.
As for the eggs, you have to keep in mind that the cake serves 12, so it’s not that much egg per serving in the end: half an egg yolk and a full egg white. Not sure I would want to replace with chia, but then again, it could be worth a try.
Real sorry to hear this cake didn’t turn out for you…
Hi! I want to make this cake for my sister’s birthday and I’m wondering how exactly you line the springform with foil? I’ve never done this before. When I have lined pans before it was only with a round of parchment in the bottom. Am I actually covering the entire bottom round of the springform with foil and then covering the outside edges of the pan or am I supposed to have foil going up the entire inner sides of the pan? I appreciate the help!! 🙂
What you need to do, Alison, is cover the entire bottom plate with a piece of foil that’s way bigger than the plate itself and fold the edges underneath it. Then put the ring in place and fold the foil back from underneath the plate to cover the outside of the ring. I hope that helps! And hey, let me know how the cake turns out!!!
I have a bottle of date essence in my cupboard. Do you think it will work if I used it instead of date paste? Thanks 🙂
I am not familiar with date essence, but the term essence suggests that it would be something liquid, where as date paste is a very thick paste, so I don’t think that they would be interchangeable…
I made this cake, and it was amazing! I admit, somewhere around the baking stage was a bit of a leap of faith (kind of like baking cheesecake) but I’m glad I followed through. When eating the leftover bits of cake stuck to the pan after I flipped it, I tasted avocado too, like someone else mentioned. It didn’t bother me, but it was the first thing I notice; however I had used half regular cocoa power and half dark cocoa power (trying to use up what I had in my stash) and I do think that if I had all dark cocoa, it may have masked some of it. That being said… the icing. The ICING!! It was so good! I’m not regularly someone who eats icing, I find it tastes like I’m shoving spoonfuls of pure sugar in my mouth, but I could eat this icing straight from the bowl. So good! The best thing about it was that once the icing was paired with the cake, that avocado taste was completely gone. The icing wasn’t overpowering, but I guess it just balanced out the cake that well. Even my boyfriend (who does not follow the paleo diet, but finds himself my test subject for my baking experiments like these) was really impressed. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Wow, that is music to my ears. So very happy to hear, and thank you so very much for your more than awesome feedback! This makes me want to create some more… 🙂
How well do you think this would freeze? I don’t think I can eat this whole thing by myself in a week! Very yummy, though. I agree that more date paste might make it better for next time, but there WILL definitely be a next time 🙂
It freezes wonderfully well, Cassie. Just thaw it in the fridge and it will be just as good as fresh! Glad to hear there will be a next time! I take it this means you like it! 😀
Hello! Does Light Coconut Milk also work?
I would definitely stick with full fat for this one… You need to use the thick coconut cream (the canned variety)
My friend and I are planning on making this tonight, only we don’t really have ripe avocados where we live, so we were planning on subbing it pureed mango or banana. How much do 3 avocados yield in terms of cups/tablespoons so we know how much to sub? Thank you so much!
To be honest, Aleena, I have no idea! I would guestimate that each avocado yields about one cup of pureed flesh. Not sure how the cake will turn out without them, though. They sure play a big role as far as texture is concerned. Make sure to let me know how your substitutions worked out, I’m really curious. Who knows, it might turn out even better!
Hi there
I’ve been making this cake today – after half hour in the oven it had cracks in it what does this mean, over or under cooked?
Hard to say without seeing it, Nancy… Was it good still? I certainly hope so!
Holy cow! I think I love u…;) I can’t wait to try this. It will be my first chocolate/avocado experience!
Awww, thanks Cynthia! You totally rock! I really hope you like this as much as I did! 🙂
Will let you know! 🙂
Hi Sonia,
tried this cake a couple of days ago. I am not a extra- dark coca fan but after a couple of trials , I am slowly warming up to it. But every one at home loved it though. keep posting such great recipies! I made a few changes – used only 2 egg whites instead of 6, and for the icing used regular cocoa powder instead of extra – dark and more date paste.
still loved it!!! three cheers to the decadant texture!! simple divine! I am hooked to this blog!!
Also I made the date paste in my wet-grinder. I don’t own a food processor. It was quite sticky and it took me a while to get it in to a smooth paste. I wonder if it is easier in a food-processor.
For the rest of the ingredients I just transferred the date-paste to a large bowl and just mixed them all with an electric mixer. it came out quite well actually.
YAY!!! So glad this cake worked for you Dolly! Thank you so much for your awesome feedback. I am really appreciative of all the great comments you always take the time to leave on here. You are one true gem, Dolly.
Have a Happy and Healthy New Year! 🙂
Can I replace the whole eggs with liquid egg substitute and use it with the egg whites? I have to watch my cholesterol.
I wouldn’t see why not, Lesley. Definitely worth a try!
My coconut milk doesn’t say what the percentage of fat to water is. But it does say to shake it first – I imagine to distribute the fat better. Should I just use the cream at the top do you think? this looks so incredibly amazing! thank you for sharing!
I say you should definitely mix the 2 parts. I always give my can a good shake before I open it. Your milk, however should, however, be nice and thick and creamy, a bit like heavy cream, not watery like regular milk. And if you feel it’s too watery for your taste, just let it sit uncovered in the fridge for a day or so, you’ll see just how nice and thick it will get!
I hope you like this cake, Sharon. Please let me know how it turned out for you!
I a Health Coach and this recipe meets my dessert criteria perfectly. Every calorie must be doing something good for me. You are right it is high in healthy fat, but that is also what made it incredibly satisfying. The protein and fiber also balance that out perfectly and make this dessert a lovely choice for special occasion or desperate indulgence. I have a family birthday next week and I can’t wait to wow everyone.
WOW!! So I served this tonight and got mixed reviews! Nobody knew about the yummy goodness in there, and I didn’t enlighten them! lol! The only complaint was that the cake wasn’t sweet enough. It was very chocolatey and a little too bitter for their sweet tastes! How can I make it sweeter? I also ended up making it in two square (8×8) pans as I didn’t have a springform pan, but i flipped out just fine! I thought the texture was great! It just needs to be a little sweeter. Should I just put in more date paste? I don’t want to mess with the consistency of the cake. Can I use honey? Is that considered a processed sugar? I’m new to this, but I love that it’s only fruit sweetened!
I meant the cake flipped out onto the plate just fine!
Thank you so much for this awesome feedback, Sharon! That is just pure GOLD! Real happy to know that the cake can be made in smaller pans also! I might have to give that a try for myself!
As for making the cake sweeter, I really don’t know, for I haven’t tested it. I think you could probably add more date paste, or a little bit of honey or maple syrup. Both are natural sources of unrefined sugar, but I have to admit that I too love the idea of using nothing but fruit to sweeten. Also, all cacao powders aren’t created equal. Some are more bitter than others, so maybe try experimenting with that also.
Thanks again for taking the time to tell me about your experience. You have no idea just how much I appreciate that. You ROCK! 🙂
Hi Sonia,
I just recently found your blog (and I LOVE it!) and I’m a huge lover of anything chocolate so I just made this cake (as the first of your recipes to try) and I absolutely LOVE it! I made it in a square pan (since I didn’t have a spring form) and was worried it wouldn’t come out okay, but it was fine. I also cut it into squares like brownies, instead of cake slices. I could’ve done with letting mine cook slightly longer, as the middle was kind of more of a solid ‘pudding’ texture (but still yummy!) but i’ll know for next time. The cake is gorgeous and the icing is even nicer than the cake! And even though its definitely not low cal or low carb, I love how it is made with super nutritious ingredients (avocado, dates – both of which I love anyway!) and coconut milk/oil – so I don’t feel guilty eating this cake AT ALL! Thank you so much for this recipe. I will definitely be making it again! (and even my husband who was wary about it when I told him what was in it, didn’t mind it! :))
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave such great feedback, Caitlin, I truly appreciate that! You chose quite the recipe for your first one, I think this has to be my most extensive and time consuming. Real glad to hear that you liked it. It would be one of my favorites too! So decadent and rich… my mouth waters just thinking about it. You’re right, definitely not low cal, but it still ranks really high on the nutrition scale, especially considering you’re looking at well, CAKE! 😉
And your husband liked it too, you say? Now that, is music to my ears! Husband approved. I like! 🙂
Hi, do you think if the eggs whites were whipped and then folded in last might make the cake a little lighter?
To be honest, Toni, I have no idea. This cake is meant to be super dense and rich and so very creamy. In fact, you want to avoid incorporating air into it so that it remains that way, that’s why it’s made in the food processor as opposed to a stand mixer. But, if you want to go for a lighter cake, I suppose that your method could very well do the trick… Do let me know how it turned out if you end up trying it! 🙂
I found your blog yesterday while searching for a low sugar, grain-free cake for my son’s first birthday. (Just can’t stand the thought of him gorging on refined sugar and grain) I made this cake today as a trial before the party and WOW. I think I am in love.
I rushed the dates (using your tip to warm them in microwave) and it worked great! I will plan ahead for the next batch of date paste, though. I didn’t have a springform pan so I used a 8 x 8 pan and also made 6 cupcakes. I am waiting for the cake to cool, but I couldn’t help myself and I already indulged by eating two cupcakes. And to echo others:THE GLAZE!! I want to drink it.
My husband is the critical one when it comes to baked goods. I can hardly wait for him to get home from work to give me his opinion. I am certain he will love them.
I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship 🙂
One last thing. If I freeze the cake, should I glaze it first or after it thaws? I would assume after.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! Made my day.
HAHA! Thank you so much for all this great feedback Holly, you’re a real gem! So happy to hear the cake lived up to your expectations and I sure hope that it also passed the “hubby test”.
As for freezing, I froze mine with the glazing on. It was just as good after it thawed, although not quite as pretty. The glaze gets pretty dull and the white “stripes” got kinda beige, but the taste was just as good, if not better! 😉
He did like it, but he didn’t love it. He said the consistency was perfection, but it wasn’t sweet enough for him. I didn’t add any honey, so I think if I do that next time we’ll win him over!
I ended up freezing the cake separate from the glaze just because I wasn’t sure. I had to get it in the freezer to stop myself from eating it!
That cake will be for my son’s “smash cake” that he gets to eat anyway, so I think it will be just fine! Nice to know for the future that I can freeze it with the glaze on.
Thanks again!
Oh no! Well, I guess eating dark, real dark chocolate is an acquired taste. I now find 72% to be on the real sweet side and enjoy drinking hot cocoa that’s made of nothing more than unsweetened cocoa powder, water and coconut cream. Delicious! But for someone who prefers milk chocolate, I bet it would taste awful. Hey, who knows, maybe by the time he had two or three pieces, this will actually grown on him! 🙂
Sorry I was too late with my freezer answer. It’s probably a good thing, your cake will end up looking that much better!
Hey, have a piece for me when you take it out of there, will ya? 😉
This looks so amazing – will definantly try it soon!
Im just wondering – can I substitute the coccunut oil for the icing with butter? If yes, then how much? 🙂
Thanks for posting this recipe!! 🙂
I couldn’t possibly recommend it from a health perspective… and since I have never tried it, it’s kind of hard for me to say. I think your safest bet would be to get the coconut oil, but if you really have your heart set on using butter, I’m pretty sure that you go with the same amount, since both have fairly similar properties.
Hope you like the recipe, Nur, and let me know how it went if you decide to give it a try! 🙂
Thanks for replying so fastly! Will definantly give this a try!
Oh and I bought advocados yesterday, and they are hard, but we are supposed to use ripe ones for the recipe… Does it make any differences?! 🙂
You definitely want your avocados to be nice and ripe. If they’re too hard, they won’t break down into a lusciously rich cream… it’s worth waiting a few days, as avocados ripen rather quickly. Put them in a warm spot and they should be good to go within 24-48 hours. 🙂
Hey again! 🙂
I just made the date paste, but I think I added a little more water than you did, since mine is creamier, and a little “softer”.. Will this ruin this cake? 🙂
Unless it’s really runny, Nur, you should be good to go. If you want to play it safe, maybe decrease water a little bit? Use one or two tablespoons less… 🙂
For the 6 egg whites, should I use regular egg whites, or pasteurized? 🙂
You can use either one, Nur. I tend to use pasteurized when the whites are going to be consumed raw, but since these get cooked, it doesn’t really matter! 🙂
I posted a few comments a couple weeks ago. I just had to report back that my (now) 1 year old LOVED this cake on his first birthday. I have the baby-covered-from-head-to-toe in chocolate cake photos to prove it! I had frozen my test cake for him and it came out of the freezer just as delicious as the day I put it in.
I didn’t add any honey to the first cake. For my son’s birthday party, I wanted to make a healthy option for our guests. I made this cake again but added 1 1/2 TBSP honey.
That made all the difference for my picky hubby. He now LOVES this cake!
Everyone at the party was raving about it and asking for the recipe. I have sent this link to many friends 🙂
This is a cake I want to make 5 of and just keep on hand in the fridge. I could eat it everyday. Yeah, I have a problem. I’m aware.
It’s also worth mentioning that I also made out-of-the-box unhealthy cupcakes with store bought frosting for people that didn’t want this healthy cake. I ended up throwing out a lot of those cupcakes…but this cake was GONE.
Well done!
Holly, I am speechless. This is the BEST RECIPE REVIEW EVER!
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this, you most definitely made my day. So glad the addition of honey was able to make this cake Hubby Approved! I might very well give that a try myself next time I make this cake.
Again, thanks for your kind words. I think I oughta have your comment printed out and framed! 🙂 You totally ROCK!!! 😀
I made this cake but I had an issue. The outside edge up to an inch towards the centre was baked perfectly, but the whole centre out (until an inch towards the edge of the pan) was pudding. What did I do wrong? I used all the eggs, I baked and cooled according to directions but somehow I made chocolate pudding 🙁 oh don’t get me wrong though! That chocolate pudding was friggin DELICIOUS!!!! But I’d love to make the cake and have it look as amazing as the photo!!!! Help please 🙂
It’s hard to say, Lanai… it could be many things. The first place I would look, though, is oven temperature. Maybe your oven isn’t exactly accurate, so you should definitely test that with a thermometer. The way I see it, it only needed to cook for a while longer, since the outside was baked perfectly. I’m guessing your oven temp is probably a tad too low. Apart from that, it could be that you ended up with way more moisture than I did (maybe your date paste or coconut milk contained more water than mine did), but it seems unlikely that this alone would’ve had such disastrous repercussions. Unless you used the cartoned, beverage type coconut milk?
At any rate, I’m really sorry to hear that your cake didn’t turn out perfect. Glad you liked the taste, at least! Did you find a creative way to eat that pudding? Must’ve been delicious indeed! 🙂
Thanks for that thought! I’m going to try baking it a bit higher temp. I was curious… Would me living up here in Canada and being a different elevation have ANYTHING to do with my slightly unfortunate outcome? I dunno it was just a thought 🙂 thank you sooooo much for replying!!!! I’m going to try it again this weekend!!!! Just hoping I can find some avocados up here! Lol
Really? Whereabouts are you in Canada, Lanai? I’m in Quebec myself, so I doubt that elevation would be the culprit. I strongly suggest that you test your oven for accuracy before you attempt making the cake for a second time. That way, you will know for sure which it is that you need to adjust: temperature or cooking time! 🙂
OMG. Made this last night. All I can say is WOW. Totally worth the mess in my food processor and all the dirty dishes. I only used 5 egg whites in the topping, from large organic eggs, and that was plenty. Made this for my husband and I to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary (and our trial run of the Paleo lifestyle). I’ll be back for more of your recipes for sure.
AWESOME! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave such great feedback, Sarah. I really truly appreciate that! And welcome to the fabulous world of paleo! Hope you guys have as much fun exploring it as I do! 🙂
Holy Wow! I think you nailed it 🙂 This was a bit scary for me (reading that those who had success loved it and others couldn’t figure out why and this is my Christmas contribution to the feasting for tomorrow! Then I discovered I only had a 10 inch spring form pan and just a tiny bit of foil! So I used some foil and some parchment and all looks awesome so far! Baked for about 40 min total.
All that and it’s going to chill now. I made glorious date paste and did add a bit of honey. I am soooo impressed and can’t wait for the finished product, but I guess I have to ;-P.
Thank you thank you!
Ah, but thank YOU Celeste for taking the time to write this. I truly hope the cake lives up to your expectations and that you and your guests love it. Happy Christmas to you, my dear! 🙂
Looks yum. With the foil is it meant to come up on the outside of the pan, not the inside (but cover the inside of the bottom)?
That is exactly right, Cassie.
I’m v. excited to make this! I live in Qatar, and finding recipes that call for date paste have become a favorite past time since it’s so easy to get here:) One question – I don’t have a springform pan with me – do you think an 8″ square would work? Or another type of pan?
Having not tried it, Sarah, it’s very hard for me to say. I guess my main issue would be with unmolding the cake. Make sure you grease your pan really, really well and even line it with parchment paper, to be on the safe side!
Yes – the unmolding may be tough w/o a springform. I’ll grease and line my 8×8 w/ parchment…the worst-case scenario is that we eat it straight from the pan! Thanks v. much for your advice!
HAHAHA! I love your attitude, Sarah! When all else fails, eat cake straight from the pan! 🙂
Yes it looks great but TWENTY grams of fat! I don’t get that in a week. There are much better and less fat options out there.
Wow!!!
never so in my life something like that it looks like a dream!
i wonder what can i use if i can not eat dates i am allergic
is it just for the sweetness or it is must?
(sorry for my English:)
Sorry, Lizi, but I really have no idea. This cake uses a substantial amount of date paste and baking tends to be very tricky, so without testing it first I can’t really tell for sure what would work as replacement. Unless you made a paste with another kind of dried fruit, like raisins, apricots or dried plums? That might work just as well…
Dear Sonia, thanks for the recipe, it looks great. Do you think if I replace cocoa powder for Carob flower (locust bean) would it be also nice and tasty? Here in Portugal we have easy access to this flour and we use it in cakes, chocolates, puddin and so on. It is a chocolate colour flower and naturally a little sweet. I’m loving all your recipes for food, butter and milk alternatives. God Bless you.
I’m guessing that you could, Edith, as carob and cacao powder are usually interchangeable. Of course, the flavor will be different, but if you’re a carob lover, then you will definitely like it!
Thank you for your kind words, you are a real gem!
WOW! I made this last night-finished assembling it today. VERY GOOD! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! First time in 8 years my Type I Diabetic son actually got to lick the bowl! He was over the moon! Thank You so much for this recipe! Keep them coming please!
Oh yes! That is pure music to my ears, Debbie. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave this amazing feedback. You totally ROCK! 🙂
After the cake has cooled, do i store it in the fridge or pantry?
Definitely in the fridge!
Simply wanna remark on few general things, the website style and design is perfect, the content is rattling wonderful: D.
Stunning! Tried this for the first time. The frosting is a little bit tooo soft but its fine with me! Thanks for the recipe
Glad you liked and thanks for letting me know, Eva! 🙂
Hi there, just baked the cake, letting it cool now. I have a question though. My icing wasn’t quite as thick as I think it was supposed to be. Can I put it in the fridge to thicken it up since I have to wait for the cake to also cool in the fridge? Or do I just have to deal with it? I guess I didn’t really think about doing the icing later because of the 8 hour fridge time for the cake. Can you tell that I’m confused? I’m kind of new to cooking/baking and always end up with more questions once I’ve done a dish. Thank you so much! Val
The icing should be fairly soft, Valerie, a little bit like chocolate pudding. It will stiffen some once it’s been chilled. I suppose you will have to put it in the fridge too, while your cake is cooling, but chances are it’ll need to be softened a bit when you take it out of there if you’re hoping to spread it on the cake…
Hope the cake will turn out fine and to your liking, too!
Ok, I put the cake and the frosting in the fridge then warmed up the frosting enough to pour it over the cake. It looks actually presentable! Not as dark and lovely as yours but I’ll let you know how it tastes when we have it as dessert after my husband’s birthday dinner. I’m very excited!
Yay! Glad to hear it turned out alright! Can’t wait to hear how you guys liked it! 🙂
Made this for my dads birthday. I left out the frosting and served with coconut whip and raspberries. Its the best tasting paleo cake I’ve made yet, but it was pudding in the middle (but my oven is relatively cold) even though the top had darkened nicely…. perhaps the fact it was a little sunken in the middle should have told me it wasn’t done 😉 I also only had two smallish avocados, but i don’t think that was the problem. Next time, I will cook it probably ten minutes longer and maybe cover it with foil after the first 30 minutes to keep it from burning. However I can tell the texture was also pretty awesome because the outer rim was perfect. Im so happy, because everybody else likes my paleo cakes but this is the first one I’ve actually enjoyed. Thanks Sonia, you’re a genius, your recipes never let me down.
oh– and i made t with carob with a bit of espresso powder because my boyfriend has an allergy to chocolate. It was a wonderful substitution.
The espresso powder is a great idea Catherine.
Thank you so much for all your kind words, Catherine, you are such a gem! 🙂
If you say your oven might be a little bit on the cold side, maybe you could up the temperature by 5 or 10 degrees next time you bake the cake. Or, like you say, bake it for a while longer… The missing avocado may have been in it for something, too. Your batter must’ve been thinner to start with. Baking often is an exact science where the tiniest little substitution may lead to total disasters. Glad your cake still turned out okay and that you enjoyed it. Hopefully, next time, it’ll be perfect! 😀
Hi Sonia,
What could I use instead of eggs, to make this a vegan cake? Love your website and make your ghee recipe regularly.
Thanks,
Emily
I have never experimented with egg substitution, Emily, so I really wouldn’t know. However, I’ve heard of people using “flaxseed eggs”. I believe the ratio is one tablespoon of flax seed meal diluted in one tablespoon of water for each egg that you are wanting to replace. Like I said, though, I’ve never tried it myself, so I really wouldn’t know how well it works.
Hi! I was just wondering if I can use something other than a springform pan for this? I’ve never used one and always been kinda nervous about it; also I’m not sure if I even have one. This may have been asked in the comments already, but there were so many I didn’t read them all. 🙂 This cake sounds amazing and I can’t wait to try it!!
Probably… just make sure you grease your cake pan really well and also line the bottom with parchment paper. Then when you unmold the cake, put a plate over the pan and quickly flip it upside down. This should do the trick.
Hi,
I’ve just made this chocolate cake. I need it in 4 days time. Will it keep nicely in the fridge or should I freeze it? Does this cake freeze well?
Look forward to hearing,
Linda
It will keep (and age) nicely in the fridge, Linda. No need to freeze it.
Freeze any leftovers after a week, though. Hope you like the cake! 🙂
Hello! I made this for Christmas dinner last night and it got rave reviews. It tastes like a smooth creamy Ice cream cake!
I did add extra date paste to both the cake and icing as I was using a new to me brand of cacao and it seems more bitter than the nativa brand ( I used organic traditions this time)
My question is , we could still taste avacado and on the edges it tasted like baked egg and avacado . So is there a way to further mask the avacado taste?
Thanks!!
Glad to hear that the cake was a hit, Sarah! I’m a bit puzzled as to why you may have gotten the strong avocado and baked egg flavor around the edges, though. The only thing I could think of is perhaps it baked for a bit too long. Next time, you may want to try adding a tablespoon of instant coffee powder diluted in a tablespoon of boiling water to your cake batter. This intensifies the flavor of the chocolate and will most likely help in masking the taste of the avocado.
Ok great , I will try that! Can I just use a tbsp of Regular brewed dark
Roast? We don’t do instant.
I too wondered if it had cooked too long it was so hard to tell bc the middle still looked somewhat liquidy and the edges were done.. It was still a major hit but I think I can improve it next time!
I also added an organic raspberry coolis that really made it extra awesome!
If you’re going to use brewed coffee, make sure it’s very strong, and I do mean VERY strong, as in not even drinkable strong!
Love the sound of that raspberry coulis! Chocolate and raspberry is such an amazing combo. Let me know how things go when you make it again. 🙂
I like the fact that we can now make healthily chocolate cake. This cake looks so tasty. I wonder have you ever tried to make this with vegan ingredients
I have not seen a cake recipe quite like this! Will give it a go.
But, how!? This is the most amazing cake I have ever made, not to mention the healthiest! I am making this at least once a month!! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Sonia, just came across your recipe. I was wondering, I’m allergic to avos (sad, I know!). I was thinking of using bananas as a substitute. What do you think? Thanks.
I’m excited to make this but I wanted to clarify which whole fat coconut milk is used? The type in a can or the type that’s in the refrigerator section?
Thx a bunch!
The type that’s in a can. Make sure to get the full fat version, NOT the light!
hello! I’m new to cake making but want to give this one a try for my kid’s birthday! I’m not understanding the eggs needed- is it 6 eggs and in addition 6 egg whites? or in addition 3/4 cup of egg whites? thanks for clairfying!
It’s 6 eggs and 6 egg whites, Amber. Sorry for the confusion, I corrected the recipe card!
thank you!
With 15 grams (four teaspoons) of sugar per serving it’s a very long way from being healthy. Delicious yes, healthy, no way.