Every year, as we know, each of us sets goals; one of mine for 2025 is to eat as little refined sugar as possible. So far, it’s been quite good; it’s mid-January, and I haven’t used/eaten refined sugar yet, but the year has just started…so fingers crossed for me. I will try to test sugar-free recipes at least a couple of times a month, and if they go well, I will share them here on the blog. It’s important to note that there is a minimal amount of sugar in the recipe, due to the chocolate covering, for example, but if you want, you can omit it and get a classic cocoa cake without chocolate. This cake is perfect for those who want to enjoy a dessert, but in a different way than usual, so don’t expect the sweetness of sugar. Now let’s see how to prepare this sugar-free and gluten-free chocolate cake in the following recipe.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 10
- Cooking methods: Electric oven
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
- 9 oz pitted dates
- 2 cups hazelnut flour (or almond flour)
- 5 eggs
- 2/3 cup water
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2.5 oz 60% dark chocolate (optional)
- 5 blueberries (or fruit of choice for decoration)
Tools
- 1 Blender
- 1 Stand Mixer
- 1 Non-stick Pan 8 inches
Steps
Start preparing your sugar-free and milk-free chocolate cake by pouring the dates and water into a blender and blending well until you get a sort of cream. I have the Monsieur Cuisine Plus, which is very powerful, so by using the turbo, I achieved the desired consistency in less than a minute. If you have a Thermomix, you will achieve the same effect in the same time; if you have a classic blender, I recommend cutting the dates into pieces and blending multiple times.
At this point, separate the egg yolks from the whites and pour the latter into the stand mixer bowl and whisk until stiff with a pinch of salt.
Return to the blender and add the egg yolks, alternating with hazelnut flour and cocoa.
If you wish, you can add vanilla extract, but it is optional.
At this point, pour the mixture with a spatula into the stand mixer bowl and slowly incorporate it with the whipped egg whites using a spatula.
Then pour into a pan which I have lightly greased with a bit of oil, and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for about 30 minutes.
Always perform the toothpick test before removing from the oven, then let it cool well in the pan. Turn your sugar-free and gluten-free chocolate cake onto a serving plate, melt the chocolate in a double boiler, and decorate the cake surface with a thin layer of melted chocolate. Let cool and decorate with blueberries or fruit of your choice if desired. Enjoy your meal.
Saby advises…
If you can’t find hazelnut flour, you can always finely grind hazelnuts.
