Description
This easy gluten free and vegan chocolate raspberry cake combines a moist zucchini-infused chocolate base with a luscious raspberry glaze, perfect for a decadent yet health-conscious dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Chocolate Cake
- 200 grams (2 cups) zucchini
- 150 grams (1 cup + ⅓ cup) almond flour (or tigernut flour for nut-free)
- 60 grams (⅓ cup) arrowroot powder (substitute with tapioca flour, potato or corn starch as needed)
- 3 tablespoons cacao powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 4 tablespoons maple syrup (or substitute with equal amount coconut milk to reduce sweetness)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil (replace with coconut milk for oil-free version)
- 100 grams (⅔ cup) dark chocolate chips
- 80 grams (½ cup) raspberries fresh or frozen (unthawed)
For the Raspberry Glaze
- 500 grams (4 cups) raspberries fresh or frozen (unthawed)
- 80 grams (½ cup) sugar
- 4 grams (2 teaspoons) agar agar powder (or 8 grams gelatin if not vegan)
For Garnish
- 125 grams (1 cup) raspberries fresh or frozen (unthawed)
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 360° F (180° C) to prepare for baking the cake.
- Prepare Zucchini Mixture: Cut the zucchini into pieces and blend in a small blender with maple syrup, oil, and apple cider vinegar until smooth.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine almond flour, arrowroot, baking soda, and cacao powder thoroughly.
- Combine Wet and Dry: Add the blended zucchini mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well with a spoon until fully incorporated.
- Fold in Chocolate and Raspberries: Gently fold in dark chocolate chips and 80 grams of fresh or frozen raspberries to the batter.
- Prepare Pan and Pour Batter: Line or lightly oil a 7-inch (18 cm) round baking pan with a removable bottom, then transfer the batter into the pan evenly.
- Bake Cake: Bake for 30 minutes. Test doneness by inserting a thin knife into the center; it should come out clean. Allow to cool in the pan.
- Cook Raspberry Glaze: While cake bakes, place 500 grams raspberries and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until a puréed consistency forms.
- Blend and Strain: Transfer the raspberry purée to a blender, blend until smooth, then strain through a sieve to remove seeds.
- Set the Glaze: Return the strained purée to the saucepan over medium-high heat, add agar agar powder, stir and bring to a boil to activate setting properties.
- Assemble Cake: Pour the warm raspberry glaze over the cooled cake surface evenly.
- Chill and Set: Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours or overnight until the glaze is completely set.
- Garnish and Serve: Remove cake from pan, garnish with fresh raspberries, slice, and serve.
Notes
- If allergic to cassava or arrowroot, substitute with tapioca flour, potato starch, or corn starch depending on dietary preference.
- Maple syrup sweetness can be reduced by substituting equal parts coconut milk to keep moisture without increasing sugar.
- For an oil-free cake, replace oil with an equal quantity of coconut milk to maintain texture and moisture.
- For best measurement accuracy, use a kitchen scale rather than volume cups as flours and starches vary by brand and region.
- Nutritional values are estimates calculated using a nutrition calculator and may vary based on exact ingredients used.
- If not vegan, agar agar can be replaced with gelatin using double the amount for proper setting.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 100 grams)
- Calories: 210 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 80 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 25 g
- Fiber: 5 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
