Healthy (Blissful) Chocolate Cake!

a healthy chocolate cake?

This past Saturday, I turned 60! You can now call me a sexagenarian. Got a nice ring to it, eh?

Even though I have vowed to take extra good care of my aging hiker body by avoiding sugar in my diet, I absolutely refuse to face this momentous day without a party.

And a party means birthday cake!

Admittedly, there is a bit of sweetener in this recipe. It comes in the form of maple syrup, (which can be substituted with agave syrup, honey, barley malt or date sugar) You likely will get a sweet buzzy high, but that is counteracted by a few hidden “super food” surprises.

Sweet potato (rich in vitamin A and C) and avocado (packed with vitamins as well as potassium and magnesium)

Both veggies are good for you, obviously, but they also have rich textures that blend well, offering a creamy and moist alternative to butter. Best yet, you can’t tell you’re eating your veggies at dessert so you will keep your guests guessing.

Oh, and I almost forgot! Cocoa powder is also considered a super food for its anti-inflammatory properties. Plus it helps even out the effects of that sugar high. Thank the goddess!

Dairy-free, saturated-fat free and refined sugar-free, this wonderful cake should take you less than 30 minutes to make.

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 1 cup sweet potato, peeled, cooked and mashed
• 1 cup flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup maple syrup

For the Frosting

• 2 very ripe avocados
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup maple syrup

Directions

For the Cake

1. Line a nine-inch cake pan with parchment paper and coat the sides with oil
2. Preheat the oven to 355° F
3. Pierce a medium-sized sweet potato and microwave for 8-10 minutes until thoroughly cooked. Scoop out the flesh and mash it well using a food processor.
4. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt.
5. Combine the mashed potato, eggs, vanilla, olive oil and maple syrup then add to the dry ingredients.
6. Pour the batter into a cake pan and cook for 18 minutes, leaving the top cooked but the center a bit gooey.
7. Let cool.

NOTE: this can be doubled or tripled to make layers

For the Frosting

1. Pulse the avocado, cocoa and maple syrup in a food processor to get silky.
2. Lather on the cooled cake layers.
3. Top the cake with berries or nuts.
4. SERVE!