Teff and Coconut Chocolate Cake
Prep time: 20 minutes
Baking time: 45 min
Mouthwatering plant-based teff and coconut chocolate cake, perfect for any celebration.
Teff is a naturally gluten-free ancient super grain with a low glycaemic index. It really is a wonder grain for anything from bread and pasta to biscuits, muffins and cakes. It has a beautiful earthy and nutty flavour so it can be used for both sweet and savoury dishes.
Teff is packed with fibre and protein as well as a range of essential vitamins and minerals. It is rich in calcium, magnesium, iron and Vitamin C plus it's super beneficial for blood sugar levels, digestion and inflammation.
And this one’s a nut-free version too!
Let’s bake :)
Ingredients
Cake:
1 cup teff flour
1 cup ground coconut (put coconut flakes in a blender)*
¼ cup tapioca flour
¼ cup raw cacao powder
½ cup coconut sugar
2 large or 3 small spotty bananas, mashed
½ cup full fat coconut milk
½ cup unrefined coconut oil, melted
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp apple cider vinegar (with ‘the Mother’)
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp pure vanilla extract (optional)
Pinch of pink Himalayan salt
*Place coconut flakes in a food processer/blender (I use a Nutribullet and it works well). Pulse until a coarse flour is formed. The coconut shouldn't be too fine. Don't over-blend, or it will become a paste.
Icing:
¾ cup full fat coconut milk
1 cup roughly chopped good quality dark chocolate (refined sugar-free) or you can sub 2-3 tbsp raw cacao powder, 1 tbsp raw cacao paste + ¼ cup pure maple syrup
Pinch of ground ginger
Pinch of pink Himalayan salt
Recipe:
Method for icing:
Let's start with the icing first, so we can cool that in the fridge.
On low heat gently warm the coconut milk until just before boiling point. Turn off the heat and add the dark chocolate or sub with raw cacao powder, raw cacao paste and maple syrup. Gently mix and add the ground ginger and pink Himalayan salt. If too thick you can thin out with extra coconut milk. Allow to cool. Once cooled the icing can set in the fridge so that it becomes thick.
Method for cake:
I’ve made this recipe as both a cake and a loaf so it works great with icing or even sliced as a loaf and served with tahini or nut butter and maple syrup.
I use a mini convection oven which works like a charm and you don’t need to pre-heat your oven but if you are using a large oven then pre-heat the oven to 180C. Combine the teff flour, coconut flour, tapioca, cacao powder, coconut sugar, cinnamon and salt together in a bowl. Mix well. In a separate bowl combine the oil, apple cider vinegar and vanilla together. Once combined add the mashed banana. Fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients slowly to avoid lumps. Line a baking pan (23cmx7cm) with parchment paper and bake on the middle rack (so the cake doesn’t burn on top) for 45 minutes. Allow to cool before icing. The icing can set in the fridge while the cake cools down.
The recipe pictured here is two cakes stacked with icing and raspberries layered on the bottom cake and the top cake is iced and topped with fresh berries: cherries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, halved strawberries and edible flowers. Serve with a dollop of whipped coconut cream for the ultimate indulgence!
Special thanks to photographer, Samantha Lowe, and food-stylist, Christi Wasserman.
With love, Mira
