This chocolate cake is a delicate, simple, and deliciously tasty treat. Perfect for Christmas table and as a sweet note anytime you wish. It’s a variation of the classic Italian sponge cake called Margherita that original includes all the listed ingredients a part of cocoa. It’s super fragrant and moist. In my baking recipe which you’ll find below, it’s made with the bitter cocoa dough what makes it even more tempting, especially for chocolate lovers!

It’s unbelievably straightforward to prepare. You will need only 1 hour to serve it, requires only a few ingredients, and is oven-ready in 40 minutes!

I bake my cake using all ingredients that are completely dairy-free and gluten-free. I used brown or coconut sugar and honey to make it sweet enough. I include eggs if required and in this case, it is, so it’s not vegan this time.
I believe by making some modifications, being careful about weights and consistency, there will be an easy way to eliminate even eggs from this recipe. As I do not have fortunately any allergy or dietary problems concerning eggs in my family, I keep the instructions as they are. 

The modifications I made is obviously:

– swapping the regular butter with the plant-based one

– replacing whole cow milk with unsweetened almond milk

– substituting regular wheat flour with my gluten-free mix I prepare personally using a few differest GF flour.

It is quite tall if you use a small, 18cm diameter cake tin. What is fantastic about this dessert, that soft cocoa cake has an ideal consistency – perfectly dense and melting right away while in your mouth.

The fact that it’s so moist and fluffy, there is no need to fill it with creams. It’s perfect like this – dusted with icing sugar.

But if you wish you can cut it in layers and fill it with something of your choice – cocoa cream or even plum/apricot marmalade. I love it neat and sinless enjoying it without any additional variations. It works perfectly as a breakfast treat served with a cup of milk or coffee!

I use this kind of recipe quite often because Achilles likes simplicity and no ‘extravagant’ toppings. For this reason, I try to keep all my creations as pure as possible, eliminating all harmful ingredients and making modifications to all our dietary requirements and restrictions.

Ingredients:

• 120 gr GF flour mix
• 65 grams of unsweetened cocoa powder 
• 100 gr of potato starch  
• 120 gr of coconut blossom sugar
• 100 ml of canola oil 
• 80 ml of honey
• 3 eggs (room temperature!)
• 75 ml of unsweetened almond milk (room temperature) 
• 15 gr of baking powder 
• 1 tbs of vanilla
• pinch of salt 

I add the grated zest of one big, not treated orange – only because my husband adores the compilation of chocolate and orange.

Preheat oven up to 170°C. You will need it in a short time!

TIPS: Use an ⌀18cm baking tin. It will make your cake grow high, and you will be able to keep it fresh and moist longer. If it will resist your temptations! I have my doubts! lol

Preparation:

Start with whipping the canola oil with sugar, honey a and vanilla for at least 10 minutes at high speed, until the mixture is light in color and surely fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, always continuing to whip! When the eggs are incorporated, you can add almond milk. Continue to whisk until everything is well mixed.

You will need to get an excellent thick, soft, and lump-free mixture! Then you are ready for the next step.

Add your flour, starch, cocoa, and raising agent. Start to fold it all by hand with a spatula from the bottom to top to prevent the mixture from losing its fluffiness!

Bake in a hot oven at 170°C for about 35 – 40 minutes, the time that a dark brown surface is created and the wooden stick is dry. Pay attention that the time of baking can vary – depends on the type of oven!

Mind the time of baking because it’s extremely important – it’s easy to overbake it! It should be darkly-brownish, not carbonized!

Well…I know it’s always something sweet and that terribly complicates your schedule if you are on a strict or sugar eliminating diet. You can always bake it for someone you take care of. Well…sharing is caring! Perhaps you have a neighbor who will spend this Christmas alone because of corona restrictions and a chocolate cake would make him smile. Give it a try!