Carrot and Chocolate Cake (Vegan)

This recipe is wonderful for a Sunday snack or to celebrate a birthday with a healthier, vegan, sugar-free, and higher fiber cake. The recipe was created by nutritionist Ana Cláudia Gonçalves.

Vegan chocolate cake

                              

Ingredients:

For the carrot cake: (for 1 layer)
- 300g buckwheat flour
- 200g finely grated carrot
- 120ml orange juice (from 1 orange)
- zest of 1 orange
- 130ml plant-based milk
- 150ml maple syrup
- 60ml coconut oil
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
- 8 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda


For the chocolate sauce:
- 150g Zesty P1 Chocolate with peanut filling
- 150ml plant-based milk


Toppings:
- 15-20 unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped
- Zesty P1 Chocolate with peanut filling


Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.
2. In a bowl, mix ground flaxseeds with water, stir, and let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes to create the "flax egg."
3. Use a grater or food processor to shred the carrots.
4. Combine all the liquids with the shredded carrots: flax egg, orange juice, coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, and orange zest. Mix until well combined. Set aside.
5. In a bowl, combine the dry ingredients: buckwheat flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix everything with a spoon.
6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix until the batter is homogeneous.
7. In a round cake pan greased with coconut oil, pour the batter and bake for 30-35 minutes.
8. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, add the plant-based milk, mix, and let it cool.
9. Chop 1 Zesty chocolate bar with peanut filling into small pieces for the filling.
10. Once the cake is cool and removed from the pan, cover it with chocolate and the Zesty chocolate pieces.
11. Place the second layer, cover it with the remaining chocolate, and decorate with chopped peanuts and Zesty chocolate pieces.
Vegan carrot and chocolate cake
                                           
                                            Photography by Cristina Silva