Aubergine Chocolate Cake

So my quest continues for the most delicious, healthy cake I can possibly find! This time I have tried out the celebrities favourite – the Aubergine Chocolate Cake. I was quite excited to give baking with vegetables a go. In the past my friends have made a courgette cake and I have tried beetroot brownies before, both have been delicious so I thought this cake would be too. 

This recipe is loved by celebrities because of the fact it is flour – free, uber rich (so you don’t need much for a quick chocolate fix!) and only contains good-for-you ingredients (bar the brandy…that’s just in there for a little treat!).

Dark chocolate is incredibly good for you. Just 1/10 of the chocolate in this cake will provide you with:

• 11 grams of fibre.
• 67% of the RDA for Iron.
• 58% of the RDA for Magnesium.
• 89% of the RDA for Copper.
• 98% of the RDA for Manganese.
• It also has plenty of potassium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium.

Dark chocolate is also packed full of anti-oxidants which is great for preventing cancer and keeping your skin looking young. 

Moreover, the recipe includes honey – containing anti-inflammatory properties, eggs – packed full of protein, aubergine – high in fibre and finally almonds – full of protein, good fats and keep you fuller for longer.

Oh this is so wonderful…this is a cake I will make all the time. I am so happy I have found this! I hope you all give it a go, you may think the recipe looks weird, but the surprise will be in the eating! I particularly enjoy it with a tablespoon of natural yoghurt as it cuts through the dark, intense chocolate flavour.

Ingredients:

 

2 small whole aubergines (weighing roughly around 400g)

300g good quality dark chocolate (I have made this with the cheapest option and it works fine, it is just a much better taste with the good quality stuff)

50g cocoa powder (not drinking coco!)

60g ground almonds

3 medium eggs

200g clear honey

2 tsp gluten-free baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 tbsp brandy 

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Line a 9 inch tin with baking parchment and brush the base and the sides with a little bit of oil.
3. Puncture the skins of the aubergines with a knife and place them in a microwave dish. Microwave on high for 8 minutes. Once they have finished cooking, leave for a couple of minutes until cool enough to handle.
4. Skin and purée the aubergines in a blender (mashing with the back of a fork will do the job just fine if you don’t fancy more washing up!).
5. Once the warm aubergine is puréed and smooth, add the chocolate, which will mingle and melt slowly. This may need microwaving for another minute to speed this process along.
6. Set aside, cover in cling film, until all the chocolate has melted.
7. In a large bowl, whisk up all the other ingredients for a minute – or until slightly bubbly.
8. Fold the melted chocolate and aubergine mixture into the bowl with all the other ingredients.
9. Pour the mixture into the tin and place it in the bottom of the oven for 30 minutes.
10. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for about 10-15 minutes. 
11. Place the cake onto a wire rack to let the cake cool further.
12. Sieve some icing sugar over the cake and serve to all of your friends and family…let the compliments roll in!

I hope you all love it as much as I do!