This cake, bread or “bizcocho” is the perfect combo of delicious and healthy. It is tender and moist inside, with a very natural sweetness and a lot of different flavours. The crunchiness of the crushed walnuts makes it a sort of brownie-cake. The healthiness exists in the lack of refined sugars, flour or oil. This recipe is only made with wholesome (unprocessed) ingredients, sweetened with fruits (dates, bananas) and flavoured with raw cocoa powder.
Some, like ma’ dear Jojo, have called it a choco banana bread because the banana flavour is quite present and stands out. I like to call it a guilty pleasure without the guilt, a breakfast cake, an afternoon snack or a middle-of-the-night kind of fun.
Now, to more serious matters. I wish this recipe was mine (although, really, who can own a recipe?). By this I mean that I’d love to say I came up with such a smart solution to my sugar-choco cravings. The truth is, a friend of my mom’s, Flora, sent my mom this recipe. My mom, who is gluten-intolerant, then sent it to me, asking me to try it out and, if the result was good, to make it for her when I’m back home. Because there is no wheat flour in this recipe, it is a good option for any celiac or gluten-intolerant. Free from sugar, gluten, oil… I know. I got a few suspicious looks from some colleagues at work when I explained all the ingredients that this cake doesn’t have. I also promised them that this would be the most delicious healthy treat they’d ever try. Before posting any recipe here I like giving samples to different people and testing it out. This is an easy way for me to get feedback on the food I make.
I have been aware of the harmful effects of sugar on our health for quite some time. I have also been conscious of my addiction to (or lack of self-control with) sugar for a while, but only recently have I decided to make the necessary adjustments to develop a strong mechanism to overcome the (almost desperate) craving moments. Learning how to make sweet stuff with unrefined or low IG sweeteners has been one of the “adjusments” – and also a challenge!
This cake can be adapted to become an orange or lemon cake (add zest and juice) or a cinnamon cake if you sub the cocoa powder for cinnamon. You can get creative with the flavours you use, but the base stays the same. You could also add chunks of banana inside, this will make it extra moist.
I hope you enjoy it and if you have any feedback, recommendation or question, please leave a comment in the section below!
Cheers 🙂
Silvia
Healthy chocolate cake (no sugar, flour or butter)
This chocolate sponge cake is the healthiest most delicious baked good you will find out there. No sugar, no flour and no butter or oil. It is the ultimate guilty pleasure, without the "guilty". The sweetness comes from the dates and bananas, and the consistency is achieved by using eggs and grounded almonds.
Ingredients
- 7 dates (or 90g)
- 2 ripe bananas (or 150g)
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 150 g almond flour
- 10 g baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 30 g cocoa powder
- 2 medium eggs
- 7-10 walnuts crushed
Instructions
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Preheat the oven at 180º.
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Remove the stone from the dates and place them in a bowl with boiled water for 2-3 minutes, until softened.
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Add the dates, bananas, cinnamon and water to a food processor, blend until creamy texture.
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In another bowl, mix the almond flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder.
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In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, then whip in the creamy date-banana mix; mix well.
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Add the bowl with dry contents and add the crushed walnuts. Mix well.
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Take a previously greased or baking-sheet covered loaf tin and add the cake mix. Bake in the oven for 35 minutes and then check with a fork or thin pin by pinching. If it comes out with mix on it, bake for another 1-2 minutes then check again. Once the pin/fork comes out clean, it is ready!
