Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Recently, I came upon a recipe over at The Kitchn for a very delicious looking Double Chocolate Zucchini Bread. This recipe looked amazing. I lusted after it. I drooled over it. I considered trading my firstborn child to the gods of processed sugars so that I could have just one bite.

Somehow, I resisted the siren song of that recipe and didn’t dive face first into all that sugar, but day after day, the thought of that recipe has haunted me. It calls to me. I dream about it. I want it. GIVE IT TO ME NOW.

I’m a firm believer that when cravings are that strong, you should give in to them… Preferably with a few swaps to make the choice a little bit healthier. In this spirit, I’ve been attempting to paleo-ify this recipe for the past two weeks. I’ve tried several different variations and had more kitchen mishaps than I’d like to admit (my sweet roommate has been so nice about trying each of these breads and telling me they weren’t awful, when, in fact, they really were the worst.) After much experimentation, though, I have a delicious and really not awful recipe to share with you! It is rich and chocolatey and moist (gross word, tasty results!) and full of sneaky vegetables. You can get away with eating a slice of this stuff for breakfast or with your afternoon coffee or for dessert. Even better news: this recipe comes together in 5 minutes in the blender. #winning

Give in to your cravings, friends, you won’t regret it!

What? I’m eating my veggies!

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c Almond Flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 3 Eggs
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 Ripe Banana, mashed
• 1 c (1 small to medium) Zucchini (scrape out the seeds)
• 1/4 c Coconut Oil melted
• 1/3 c Cocoa Powder
• 2 tbsp Almond Butter
• 1/2 c Chopped Pecans or Walnuts (optional)
• 1/2 dark chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli 60% cocoa, because that was the option available at my Kroger. If you can get a higher cocoa percentage or fewer additives, that would be better. Ideally, you just want cocoa powder, cocoa butter and a natural sweetener).

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and use parchment paper to line bread pan (or else grease the pan well with coconut oil).
2. Use a blender to grate the zucchini and banana.
3. Add in other wet ingredients and blend until well combined.
4. In a separate bowl, mix together dry ingredients (except chocolate chups and nuts). Mix in wet ingredients until well combined. Alternatively, you could jus add the dry ingredients straight to the blender. You have to watch for clumping (no one wants a clump of baking powder in their food), but I’ve done this and the bread was still delish.
5. Mix in chocolate chunks and nuts (if using).
6. Pour batter in greased pan and bake for 1 hour, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Serve with a drizzle of honey, coconut whipped cream, raspberries and/or a dusting of cocoa powder, cinnamon and red pepper (sounds weird, tastes good), or just eat it plain!

Whole Celebrations

Confession. I’ve gone a little wild since I finished the Whole 30 — mostly in the category of sweets. To my utter amazement by the end of the thirty days, I was not craving the taste of desserts but rather the habit. It’s the joy that comes with a pastry at your favorite coffee shop on a blasé Wednesday or the decadence of dark chocolate with a glass of red wine at the end of a long day. I understand that the joy I feel in these moments is a direct result of my not yet beaten sugar addiction. So, in the three weeks following my whole 30, I slowly introduced certain foods like grains and dairy and frantically perused the internet for lower sugar, more natural versions of my favorite desserts and pastries. When I said going wild, I meant replacing the sugar in my baked goods with maple syrup and raw honey and spending a few too many extra bucks on 90 percent dark chocolate bars every time I go to the grocery. One of the best habits I’m building through this attempt at a less processed lifestyle is awareness and discipline. While before my splurges were coffee shop pastries or homemade sugar packed baked goods, I’m much more aware of the sugar and my definition of splurging is much more whole. I’ll continue to banish (or at least minimize) my sugar monsters but in the meantime, life is happening! There are so many things I want to celebrate, and I think we can find more whole ways to celebrate through food. Below is the recipe that emerged from looking at multiple dark chocolate and grain free cake recipes. I made it for a dear friend’s birthday and felt much personal satisfaction when she said, “I love how natural it tastes and it’s not so sugary like most cakes!”

Success!
– mc

Grain-free dark chocolate cake

• 2 dark chocolate bars (90 percent cacao with >5g sugar)
• 1 stick of unsalted butter or 8 tablespoons of ghee
• 6 eggs
• 2/3 cup pure maple syrup or raw honey
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla
• 2 teaspoons coconut flour (lucky to find this at our Kroger! WOO!)
• 4 cups almond flour
• 1/2 cup (SPECIAL DARK!) cocoa powder (I could only find Hershey’s in town)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoon baking powder

*Some baking powder contains grain but I wasn’t able to determine if the brand available at my grocery store has any grain.  Perhaps this is a topic for a future blog post 🙂

Whipped chocolate buttercream frosting

• 2 sticks unsalted butter (Can use Earth Balance “whipped butter” for dairy free but I’m finding my body reacts to soy products)
• 2 tablespoons organic whipping cream (Leave out for DF)
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup or 4 oz dark chocolate melted (90 percent cacao with >5g sugar)
• 1/2 cup maple syrup or raw honey
• 1 cup powdered sugar (Leave out if you prefer but add more honey or maple syrup to taste)
• 1/4 cup of cocoa powder (May need extra cocoa for fluffy texture if you leave out powdered sugar)

Steps for the cake

Preheat oven to 350 and grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Grease with coconut oil or olive oil. Melt the chocolate and butter on the stove stirring frequently to ensure chocolate doesn’t burn. Use a double  boiler if you can but if not just watch carefully! Let the mixture cool for 10-15 minutes before using. While chocolate cools, mix all dry ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl, whip eggs and maple syrup vigorously (or use electric stand mixer) until the mixture is fluffy and light yellow – about 6-7 minutes. Add in chocolate mixture and vanilla. Gently fold in dry ingredients to chocolate mixture.

Divide batter into the prepared pans. Bake cakes for 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Let the cakes cool  for 15 minutes and then remove from pans to cool completely. If you need them to cool over night, leave them in the pans covered with saran wrap to seal moisture. Run a knife around the edge of pan to loosen and remove.

Steps for the whipped buttercream

Melt the chocolate and let it cool for 10 minutes. Whip the butter in a stand mixer or by hand for 5-6 minutes. Add the whipping cream and mix until light and fluffy. Keep mixing and add in melted chocolate and vanilla. Add maple syrup, sugar and cocoa powder and mix until fluffy. Frost your cake when it is cool or cold! Put frosting in between the two layers, then on top and last do the edges. If you run out of frosting, it looks just as lovely to simply frost middle and top. Decorate with anything you’ve got!

grain free dark chocolate cake