Chocolate + Coconut Mud Cake
Natasha Mason is one of those incredibly talented, positive and enthusiastic people I feel lucky to know. It has been a few years since she was yelling stroke numbers from the riverbank as I pulled the oars through the water but I’m happy to say she is still cheering me on. She’s an inspired cook and lover of local growers, businesses and people who share her passion for all manner of whole, nourishing and natural foods. A few weeks ago she put to me the challenge to come up with a recipe for a flour-less, grain-less, and potentially dairy and sugar-less chocolate mud cake – a recipe for lean-mean paleo foodies who fancy an indulgent treat.
Here is the result. Not your typical chocolate mud cake recipe – but just as tasty. As sceptical as I was at the idea of a wheat-fee, white sugar-less mud cake, this one tastes pretty darn close to the classic but without all the butter, flour, and with honey in place of the white sugar, and easily made dairy-free if you like.
The coconut and combination of nuts gives each slice a hint of macaroon-esque bite, the coconut flour lends sweetness, and melted 85% chocolate delivers a burst of dark, intense richness. Topped with a luscious frosting made simply from avocado, honey, vanilla and cacao – you’ll love it. Trust me.
Natasha Mason is the Founder and Owner of NourishMelbourne -
https://www.facebook.com/nourishmelbourne
For the cake:
65g unsalted butter – organic if possible
185g dark chocolate – I used 85% cocoa but this is flexible
¼ cup walnuts
¼ cup hazelnuts
¼ cup moist coconut flakes or desiccated coconut – organic if possible
¼ cup coconut flour
1 tbsp almond milk – soy, cow, rice or any other nut milk may be substituted
2 eggs – organic and free-range if possible
1½ tbsp honey
1 tbsp raw cacao powder – good quality cocoa powder can be substituted
½ tsp baking powder
For the chocolate icing:
¼ cup honey
2 ripe avocadoes
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup raw cacao powder – good quality cocoa powder can be substituted
Preheat oven to 160C.
Lightly grease a 20cm round cake tin and line with baking paper.
Roughly cube the butter and break up the chocolate into small pieces. Pop into a bowl and place over a saucepan of simmering water. Allow to melt, stirring every so often, until smooth and glossy. Once melted, remove the boil from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
In the bowl of a food processor, place the walnuts, hazelnuts, coconut and cacao powder and blitz to small crumbs.
Add the nut mixture to the melted chocolate along with the honey, coconut flour, baking power, and milk and whisk to combine.
Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking well after each addition. Pour the mixture into the cake tin and pop into the oven to bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer is inserted into the cake and comes out clean.
Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.
While the cake is cooling, prepare the icing.
For the frosting, combine the honey, avocado, vanilla and cacao – in that order – in a blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Spoon into a bowl and pop into the fridge until you are ready to ice the cake – to loosen up the mixture add a little water if needed.
Serve cake topped with icing – and any fresh fruits, chocolate shavings, nuts you like. I topped mine with a little cream and fresh orange-stewed rhubarb.
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Oh. My. God. That cake looks to die for!
Thanks, Amrita. It is pretty darn tasty too – if I do say so myself. Who knew baking sans the white sugar, flour and mountains of butter could taste so good!
Kate, I will be straight to the grocers tomorrow to pick up ingredients to make this truly amazing Paleo dessert. You have outdone yourself! Thank you so much, you are one very inspiring and talented person. I urge anyone, whether a follower of a Paleo lifestyle or not, to try this. You’ll be surprised how dessert doesn’t need to always include mounds of sugar or flour to be satisfying.
That icing is genius. Love it!!!
Never would have thought avocado could be used in frosting!
That makes two of us.
Wow! Looks phenomenal!
I’ll have to try this as I can’t eat gluten – looks great Kate!!
That looks great! I love quirky recipes which use ingredients that you wouldn’t expect to find in them (avocado in frosting? Interesting!)
I’ve been cooking with coconut a lot recently (coconut curry, carrot and coconut soup, coconut and chocolate brownies…) and I’m definitely going to make this in the near future…..it looks too delicious to pass up!
Great call with the orange-stewed rhubarb – I can imagine how that added layer of tart cut through the creamy dreaminess of the chocolate and coconut and avocado. Personally, I think all chocolate cakes should be flourless – and I’m not even watching my gluten! It just makes for such a decadent cake. Really beautiful photos – as always.
Reblogged this on .
And the avocado-honey frosting works? I HAVE to try it but it just sounds a little strange.
Believe it or not, it is creamy, chocolatey and rich – I’m a convert.
Would love to hear what you think once you give it a go!
Thank you….I’ve got it queued up on the to do list and will definitely get back with the results.
I have all my ingredients ready to go, and am making this tomorrow!
Looking forward to a post-curry-making update Jaclyn!
Just pulled it out of the oven and it smells divine, albeit a bit flat
Frosting is in the fridge and tastes amazing! Can’t wait to taste test the whole cake tonight.
This cake looks great but I don’t like the gritty texture of desiccated coconut is this a smooth bite?
Thanks for the comment, gingerbreadcafe. The cake does have bit of a bite but I wouldn’t describe it as gritty. The little pieces of hazelnut and walnut give it a lovely chewy texture.
Sounds lovely!
Looks great! Any ideas or suggestions with a substitute for the butter?
Kate, I just made it and I was in chocolate, paleo dessert, HEAVEN! The frosting is to die for too, I wouldn’t have thought it! It was almost like mousse – you could have it on its own as a dessert it was that good. Although, I did add two shots of fresh espresso coffee to the cake mix and it made it super moist and more delicate. I have made a Paleo brownie before and done this to achieve more moisture.
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe! Great tip to add a few shots of coffee – coffee is one of those incredible essences that really bring out the chocolatey-ness of chocolate.
Wow! This looks delicious! Really loving your gorgeous blog!
Simply stunning, love your recipes
Thank you Erica! Kx
This is going to be my contribution to our Family Easter Dinner! Thanks for the Idea, they are going to be blown away.
Wow! What an honour to be the inspiration for your Easter feast contribution! Enjoy. Happy Easter to you and your family! Kx
Great cake, uber chocolately. Big thumbs up
Thanks for the feedback, Nicole. Glad you liked! Kx
Love this! Looks sensational. Yum yum! Kx