Healthy Chocolate Easter Cake

The ultimate decadent chocolate cake: delicious, moist, free from refined sugar and totally vegan! This recipe is our go-to for all special occasions but the homemade eggs and toasted coconut topping make it perfect for Easter. 

Serves 10-12

Ingredients:

Chocolate Sweet Potato Cake: 
1/2 cup Aduna Super-Cacao Powder
1 1/2 cups diced, cooked and cooled sweet potato
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 cup + 2 tbsp water
1 tbsp vanilla extract 
2/3 cups coconut sugar
2 cups spelt flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt 

Chocolate Mousse Filling:
2 Tbsp Aduna Super-Cacao Powder
2x 160ml cans coconut cream OR cream removed from 2 x 400g cans refrigerated coconut milk
2 Tbsp maple syrup
100g 70% dark chocolate, chopped

Chocolate Ganache:
100g dark chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup coconut milk

Marzipan Eggs:
50g (1/2 cup) ground almonds
1 1/2 tbsp agave syrup
A few drops almond extract & vanilla extract
fruit/vegetable powders for colour (I used raspberry powder, Aduna Moringa Powder and ground turmeric)

Toasted coconut, for topping

Method:

Cake: Preheat oven to 180C/350F and lightly grease 2 x 8” round cake pans with coconut oil.

Place the cooked sweet potato, maple syrup, water and vanilla in a high-powered blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Sieve the flour, salt, super-cacao, baking powder and baking soda into a large bowl. Stir in the coconut sugar until well combined. Add the sweet potato mixture and mix until just combined.

Pour into the prepared tins and bake for 20-22 minutes. Leave to cool fully before removing from tins and topping.

Chocolate Mousse Filling: Using an electric or hand whisk, beat the coconut cream until fluffy.

Melt the dark chocolate in a bowl over a pan of boiling water and add to the whipped cream, along with the maple syrup.

Mix gently to combine and refrigerate for 20 minutes to thicken. 

Sandwich the 2 cake layers together with the chocolate mousse (you may not need quite all of it). 

Chocolate Ganache: Heat the coconut milk in a small pan, until steaming hot but not boiling. Remove from the heat, add the chopped chocolate and stir to melt. Leave for 15 minutes to thicken, until pourable but not too runny.

Pour ganache over the cake and spread evenly. Top with toasted coconut and the marzipan eggs (use a little spare ganache to stick the eggs in place).

Marzipan Eggs: Add the ground almonds and honey to a food processor and process briefly until it comes together when pressed between finger and thumb.

Divide into 3 and add the fruit/vegetable powders to colour. Roll into 15-20 small "eggs" and refrigerate until ready to use. 

Enjoy!

Recipe by Coconut and Berries.