Rich and indulgent gluten-free chocolate cake with chickpea tahini frosting and summer berries.
This recipe is sponsored by Amore di Mona.
This Vegan Chocolate Cake with Chickpea Tahini Frosting is the ultimate plant-based cake. The chocolate sponge is made with a mix of teff and buckwheat flour, the frosting with chickpeas and tahini and it’s covered with luscious chocolate glaze and beautiful fresh summer fruit.
It’s a rich indulgent cake packed with some wholesome power ingredients and you could even have a slice of this cake for breakfast if you choose to. Who says cakes can’t be healthy?
This cake is covered with luscious Amore di Mona chocolate. Their gorgeous chocolate is completely vegan, gluten, soy and nut free and the cocoa content is nearly 80%. Amore di Mona specialize in creating luxury chocolate for those with special dietary needs and with food allergies.
Receiving their chocolate in the post has been an exciting experience and a very special treat. The packaging is luxurious and stunning and the parcel has arrived with a personalized beautifully handwritten note in a sealed envelope.
In this recipe I’ve used their 20oz Dark Chocolate Bulk Bar, which is perfect for coating and that has completely transformed the cake. I’ve also had a pleasure sampling their gift chocolate collection that is even more impressive.
Now to the cake, there are quite a few elements in this cake including the rather unusual chickpea tahini frosting. But may I just say that the frosting works so beautifully with the chocolate glaze on top that I can hopefully inspire you to give it a go. Who would have thought?
Frosting the cake does require a bit of patience and you have to smooth it out using a spatula, but it’s not your traditional buttercream! I loved creating a cake that is quite different and not so ordinary. I’ve made two versions of this cake, one completely tree nut free with arrowroot which is more gooey and moist and one with desiccated coconut which is moist, but a bit more dry. I’ve also tried the sponge with coconut oil, but find that olive oil works better and keeps the cake more moist. If you decide to bake this cake make the one that appeals to you more. Hope you like it:)
Special thank you to Amore di Mona for sponsoring this post. Your chocolate is divine.
Vegan Chocolate Cake with Chickpea Tahini Frosting (gluten-free)
Rich and indulgent gluten-free chocolate cake with chickpea tahini frosting and summer berries.
Ingredients
Chocolate cake:
- 1/2 cup teff flour (70 grams)
- 1/2 cup buckwheat flour (70 grams)
- 1/4 cup raw cacao powder (30 grams)
- 1/2 cup desiccated coconut (150 grams)
- 1/2 cup coconut sugar (75 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/3 cup olive oil (80 ml)
- 1/2 cup almond milk (120 ml)
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 medium bananas, mashed
Chickpea tahini frosting:
- 2 1/4 cup cooked chickpeas (360 grams)
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 1tsp cinnamon
- pinch sea salt
- 1 small lemon, zest & juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Chocolate glaze:
- 2 cubes bulk chocolate (100 grams) or 3.5-ounce dark vegan chocolate
Toppings:
- fresh figs
- blackberries
- blackcurrants
- bulk chocolate or dark vegan chocolate shavings
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F (180 °C) - 325 fan °F (160 °C fan)
- Grease and line 2 x 6" round cake baking tin.
- In a large bowl whisk together teff flour, buckwheat flour, cacao, desiccated coconut, coconut sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.
- In a small bowl whisk together olive oil, almond milk and apple cider vinegar.
- Add the wet mix together with the mashed bananas to the dry mix and mix until well combined. Add a little bit more almond milk if the mixture feels too dry. It should be of a muffin batter consistency.
- Evenly divide the mixture between the two cake tins and level out the surface.
- Bake for about 25 minutes or until a cocktail stick comes out with just few crumbs on. Do not over bake.
- Remove from the oven once ready and leave to cool down for 5 min before carefully moving onto a wire rack.
- To make the frosting place all of the ingredients for the chickpea layer into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add more lemon juice or 1 tablespoon of almond milk if it feels too thick.
- To make the chocolate glaze gently melt roughly chopped chocolate in a double boiler and stir until smooth. Set aside and leave to cool down while frosting the cake.
- Place first of the cooled cakes onto a cake stand and spread generously with the frosting. Place the second one on the top and using spatula frost the top and sides of the cake. Have a bit of patience and keep going until the surface is nice and smooth.
- Pour the cooled chocolate glaze on top and gently smooth out to the sides so the glaze runs over the edge.
- Decorate with some fresh fruit and chocolate shavings.
- Enjoy!
Notes
If you like to make this cake completely tree nut free, substitute 1/4 cup (30 grams) of arrowroot for desiccated coconut, rapadura sugar for coconut sugar and rice milk for almond milk. Omit the coconut oil in the frosting.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving:Calories: 496Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 308mgCarbohydrates: 70gFiber: 9gSugar: 35gProtein: 10g
Wow, looks so good and the recipe sounds so nice! Love every ingredient of it!
Thank you so much Natalia! I’ve had an amazing time creating this recipe, really happy you love it!
O my goodness! You are so talented, my friend! This is stunning! Chocolate, chickpea, tahini? My favorites! I would request this as my wedding cake ;) I’ll have to give you a call in a few years!
Thank you so much Rebecca for this amazing comment! I’m so so happy that you love this cake so much! You’re on for the wedding cake:)
This cake is absolutely stunning Hana! That frosting looks and sounds fab. I’ll have to check out this chocolate ;-)
Thank you so much Michelle! Yes, I’m very pleased with the frosting, luckily it turned out very well! x
You seriously have out done yourself with this beauty, Hana. Wow! I am in love. I bet Amore di Mona are delighted with what you’ve created with their chocolate. This is DEFINITELY pinterest board cover material ;-)
I am really intrigued by this chickpea frosting. I’ve made frosting with nuts though so I imagine it would be a similar sort of texture. Have to try it some time!
Thank you so much Aimee, that’s a big compliment! Luckily they are:) The frosting is just like hummus, only sweet and tastes so lovely with the chocolate. xx
This looks so decadent and yet it’s healthy! Amazing! Love that shiny chocolate glaze dripping down the cake, makes me want to dive right in! x
Thank you so much Sasha! Yes, I did my best to create a healthy, but still indulgent cake. I have to say that chocolate glaze was pretty amazing:) x
This cake looks delicious you did an amazing job. We are in love with all your pictures and are very happy to have worked with you!
Thank you so much, I’m so happy you love the cake! It was a real pleasure working with you!
Hi Hana,
I just baked your cake and must say it is divine! It is full of flavors. I replaced the coconut sugar by xylitol and added hazelnut pieces and a bit more of milk. It tasted amazing.
Thank you. Have a great time in Portugal.
x
Cecilia
Hi Cecilia, thank you so much for your comment! I’m so happy that you’ve tried this cake and even happier that you think it tastes divine! It’s a huge compliment! Much Love, Hana xx
Wow this cake looks absolutely divine!
I’m very intrigued by your chickpea-tahini icing!
Thanks for the recipe! xx
Thank you so much Aryane! It’s a pleasure :) xx
I just baked the chocolate cake without the frosting and glaze – wonderfully moist with a beautiful banana, chocolate and coconut flavour. This will become another of my regular bakes – delicious. A slice of cake a day makes me very happy and is not to be missed! Keep the recipes coming – it’s great fun to try all these different cakes.
Hi Lisa, I’m so happy you’ve loved this cake too! I hear what you’re saying, I have such sweet tooth, a slice of cake a day definitely does it for me ;) Thank you for your lovely comment, will do my best! x
May I ask what brand/kind of tahini is used cause all tahini is certainly not the same? Please and thank you
hi! what can i use in place of teff flour? cant get it where i am!
Hi Allysa, you can use brown rice flour, sorghum flour or gluten-free flour mix. Whatever you have available. Hope you enjoy the cake :)
This looks awesome, but could I sub chickpea flour for the teff?
Hi! This cake looks wonderful but I was wondering how much of a gf-flour blend you’d recommend subbing, since I think teff flour is more liquid-absorbent and rice flour (and starch!) are already in the blend. Any suggestions?