By Carla Oates
Serve this amazing cake with pride to sceptics and watch them eat their words. It looks and tastes just like a traditional chocolate cake, but nourishes, not depletes.
Serves 10-12
Ingredients:
- 1 cup blackberry jam
- Edible flowers, to decorate (optional)
- Fresh blackberries, to decorate (optional)
- Chocolate pumpkin cake
- 350g peeled pumpkin (or 1 cup puree)
- 10 Medjool dates, pitted
- ½ cup (125ml) boiling water
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ cup (60ml) coconut drinking milk
- ½ cup (125ml) macadamia oil, plus extra for drizzling
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean powder
- ¾ cup (90g) almond meal
- ½ cup (80g) buckwheat flour
- ¾ cup (75g) cacao powder
- ¼ cup (30g) arrowroot
- 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- pinch of Himalayan salt
Cacao and cultured butter frosting
- 8 Medjool dates, pitted
- ½ cup (125ml) boiling water
- 100g unsalted cultured butter, softened
- ½ cup (60g) cacao powder
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla bean powder
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lightly grease and line a 20cm springform cake tin with baking paper.
- Cut the pumpkin into chunks and place on a baking tray. Drizzle with macadamia oil. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until tender and caramelised. Set aside to cool.
- Reduce the oven to 170°C. Soak the dates in the boiling water for 10 minutes, or until softened.
- Place the dates and their liquid in a high-speed food processor. Add the eggs, coconut milk, macadamia oil and vanilla bean powder and blend until smooth. Add the pumpkin and blend to combine. Transfer into a medium bowl.
- Place the dry ingredients in a medium bowl and stir to combine. Add to the wet mixture and stir to make a smooth batter. Pour the batter into the prepared tin.
- Bake for 45-50 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre to test. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Turn out onto a rack to cool completely.
- Once cooled, slice the cake in half horizontally, making two rounds. Spread the blackberry jam over the base. Sandwich the remaining cake half on top.
- To prepare the cacao and cultured butter frosting, soak the dates in the boiling water for 10 minutes, or until softened. Cream the butter in a medium bowl using an electric mixer, until pale and creamy.
- Place the dates and their liquid in a high-speed food processor. Add the cacao and vanilla and blend until smooth. Add the chocolate date mixture to the creamed butter and mix until combined.
- Using a spatula, spread the frosting on top and over the cake, to completely cover. Decorate with edible flowers and fresh blackberries, if desired.
Note: Refrigerate this cake until you’re ready to serve. The frosting will begin to melt off the cake if left out, especially on a warm day.
