The sweetness in this cake is provided by delicious dates, which you previously soak for a few hours to overnight, and the texture of this baby is rich, dense, and when you cover it with that silky chocolate sauce, everyone will be very impressed when you serve it. Let them have a bite (or finish the whole thing) and then tell them it's healthy, gluten free and vegan and watch them do a double take... so much fun!

I love to serve it with some non-dairy vanilla ice cream for extra swooning power!

Watch the video

SWEET POTATO BLUEBERRY CHOCOLATE CAKE

Yield: One 8 1/2 inch cake (about 8-10 servings) ⎮ Pre soaking time: 4 hours or overnight for the dates Prep time: 20 minutes ⎮ Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 sweet potato, peeled, cubed and steamed until tender (About 1 & 1/2 cups)
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1 & 1/2 cups dates, previously soaked in water, pitted and drained
• 1 cup non-dairy milk
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 & 1/4 cups cups oat flour (or oats blended until a fine powder is formed, use gluten free oats for the gluten free version)
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons oil (it can be canola, safflower, sunflower or coconut)
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

For decorating and serving:

• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or pieces, melted
• 3-4 tablespoons of plant based milk
• Extra berries and / or nuts for decorating
• Non-dairy vanilla ice cream for serving if desired

Directions

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350ºF (176ºC).

2. Prepare an 8 & 1/2  or 9 inch cake pan by wiping it with some oil with a paper towel, and lining the bottom with parchment paper. Set it aside.

3. In a bowl, whisk together the non-dairy milk and vinegar. Set it aside.

4. Add the steamed sweet potato cubes, drained dates and the blueberries in a food processor and process until creamy and well combined, scraping down the sides as you go.

5. In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Mix well until combined.

6. Add the milk mixture, the mixture from your food processor, the oil and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.

7. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared pan and bake in the oven for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. After about 30 or 40 minutes, check the cake to make sure the top isn’t browning too fast, if you see this happening, cover it loosely with foil for the remaining time. Keep in mind that the texture of this cake is similar to a flourless chocolate cake, very dense and rich as opposed to fluffy, and it will not rise that much in the oven. This is the texture that you want for this cake.

8. Let it cool slightly before removing it from the pan.

9. To decorate your cake, melt the dark chocolate in a heat resistant bowl over a pot with boiling water and add the non-dairy milk until you have a rich but fluid chocolate sauce. Add the milk slowly until you’ve reached the desired consistency. You may add more than the 4 tablespoons if needed as this will depend on the chocolate you use.

10. Place the cake on a serving platter, and pour the chocolate sauce over the cake a bit at a time, and tilt the cake carefully so that the sauce slightly drips down the sides.

11. If desired, decorate the top with some fresh berries, chopped walnuts or hazelnuts and enjoy! For maximum deliciousness serve with some non-dairy vanilla on the side.
    
    

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