Happiness is chocolate! Who doesn’t love it! I crave it sometimes…other times I don’t. But I do love a good chocolate cake anytime.
This is a gluten free, dairy free, processed sugar free cake. Filled with healthy fats and superfoods, it is so good for you. Welcome to the new age in which scrumptious food is actually good for you. Eat without guilt!
I’ve made this many times now and this is the best version. It holds its shape and is creamy and chocolaty. The cashew nuts lend a creamy, deliciousness to this cake.
A little goes a long way as it is so rich. This recipe uses the homemade chocolate I have posted here. Just skip the nuts and berries and you will get a plain chocolate to use in this recipe. Or you can buy a dark cooking chocolate bar and use it if you prefer.
Why is this cake so good for me, I hear you ask?
Here’s why.
Cashew nuts – Cashew nuts contains healthy fats that are key to keeping you full and helping you lose weight.
Their benefits include the prevention of heart disease, promotion of oral health, besides many others.
Cashew nuts are high in copper. Copper is great, however it needs to be on par with zinc in your body. If there is too much copper, that could lead to health issues. People with pyroles should not eat too much copper, so be mindful.
These nuts also has a good amount of magnesium which helps relax our nerves and our muscles. Magnesium plays a very important role in balancing calcium and for strong bones. It also helps to improve our sleep.
Raw cacao – is good for your mood (could help with depression), skin, heart and brain.
It is rich in flavanols and increased flavanol intake have been shown to improve type 2 diabetes symptoms.
It fights inflammation and has antioxidant effects, therefore helping to prevent cancer. It is antibacterial and, surprisingly, could improve oral health!
Avocado – These fruits contribute to a heart healthy and contains healthy fats that could help with weight loss.
They help with decreasing inflammation and could regulate blood sugar levels.
High in fiber, avocados are great for your digestive tract.
Avos, as they are fondly called in Australia, contain manganese, folate, vitamin C, E, K and B6.
4 ingredient vegan chocolate cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews
- 125 gms chocolate Reserve 1 tbsp for drizzling on top of the cake
- 2 tbsps cashew milk / almond milk
- 1 avocado peeled and pitted
Instructions
- Soak the cashews in warm water for 15 minutes
- Meanwhile, put the chocolate in a bowl in a double boiler and melt
- Once the 15 minutes are up, drain the cashews and add to a high speed blender
- Blend till smooth - it will take some time and you will need to scrape the sides of the blender
- Add the melted chocolate, milk and avocado and whizz till it is incorporated and smooth
- Pour the mixture into a little bowl or a small spring form pan
- Keep in the freezer for around 10 mins
- Take out and drizzle the remaining melted chocolate on top of the cake
- Put it back in the freezer and leave it for around 1/2 hour
- Take it out and remove from the pan. Store in the fridge
REFERENCES
Cashew Consumption Reduces Total and LDL Cholesterol: A Randomized, Crossover, Controlled-Feeding Trial Eunice Mah 1 , Jacqueline A Schulz 2 , Valerie N Kaden 1 , Andrea L Lawless 1 , Jose Rotor 1 , Libertie B Mantilla 1 , DeAnn J Liska 3
Affiliations PMID: 28356271 DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.116.150037
Nutritional composition of raw fresh cashew (Anacardium occidentale L.)kernels from different origin Ricard Rico, 1 Mònica Bulló, 2 and Jordi Salas‐Salvadó 2 Food Sci Nutr. 2016 Mar; 4(2): 329–338.Published online 2015 Oct 6. doi: 10.1002/fsn3.294 PMCID: PMC4779481 PMID: 27004123
Gasser P, Lati E, Peno-Mazzarino L, Bouzoud D, Allegaert L, Bernaert H. Cocoa polyphenols and their influence on parameters involved in ex vivo skin restructuring. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2008;30(5):339–345. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2494.2008.00457.x
Khan N, Khymenets O, Urpí-Sardà M, et al. Cocoa polyphenols and inflammatory markers of cardiovascular disease. Nutrients. 2014;6(2):844–880. Published 2014 Feb 21. doi:10.3390/nu6020844
Martin MA, Goya L, Ramos S. Potential for preventive effects of cocoa and cocoa polyphenols in cancer. Food Chem Toxicol. 2013;56:336–351. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2013.02.020
De Araujo QR, Gattward JN, Almoosawi S, Silva Md, Dantas PA, De Araujo Júnior QR. Cocoa and Human Health: From Head to Foot–A Review. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2016;56(1):1–12. doi:10.1080/10408398.2012.657921
Maskarinec G. Cancer protective properties of cocoa: a review of the epidemiologic evidence. Nutr Cancer. 2009;61(5):573–579. doi:10.1080/01635580902825662
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