Sneak some veggies into your kids’ desserts with this Paleo Pumpkin Chocolate Cake. The pumpkin (or other veggie) gives the cake a wonderful moist texture.
When I first started sneaking veggies into baked goods, my primary goal was to get additional fiber and nutrients into my picky kiddos. But along the way, I learned that pureed veggies also lend moisture to baked goods. And I became hooked on using them for the perfect texture!
In this cake, I used half pumpkin and half fresh spinach pureed together. Other vegetables I use and you could consider are: steamed cauliflower, cooked sweet potato, raw zucchini, pureed carrots, and cooked spaghetti squash. With chocolate in particular, steamed beets can be great, and one time, I saw pureed tomatoes used in a recipe for “Thunder Cake!” While each vegetable has its own flavor, I generally use milder or sweeter ones so I can use less sugar and be sure my kids won’t figure it out!
I kept this cake grain free, but I’m pretty sure an all-purpose flour would work too, gluten free or not! This cake disappeared really quickly in our house, and I bet it will in yours too!
Paleo Pumpkin Chocolate Cake
Paleo Pumpkin Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup pureed pumpkin see note
- 3/4 palm sugar or any sugar, more to taste as necessary
- 1/4 cup butter coconut oil, or palm shortening
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour
- 3/4 cup cassava or tapioca flour
- 1/4 cup sifted cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- Chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F and grease a bundt pan.
- In the bowl or a food processor or a blender, place all the wet ingredients and blend until smooth.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
- Pour the pureed liquid ingredients over the top, and stir to mix. It is okay to add a few tablespoons of either type of flour if it feels too thin (some veggies have more water).
- Stir in chocolate chips if desired.
- Scrape batter into prepared pan, tap gently a few times on the counter to settle the batter.
- Bake in a preheated over for 40 - 50 minutes until just set in the middle.
- Let cool for 15 minutes before inverting onto a cooling rack, slice and enjoy!
Notes
By contributing writer, Tessa
TerriT says
Awesome looking recipe! Can’t wait to try it. Q: You have “3/4 Palm Sugar.” I’m assuming that’s 3/4 Cup. If I were to substitute granulated honey, would I use the same amount?
tessa says
yes Terri, thanks for catching that!! Honey is a bit sweeter, so taste and decide!!
Nat says
Turned out awesome! I used arrowroot flour instead of cassava.
tessa says
Good sub Nat, all starches sub well for cassava when it is not the only flour in the recipe! Glad you enjoyed it!
MaryJean Byrne-Maisto says
Help! I just made this recipe and I must have done something wrong. The batter is dryer than dry. So I did it again. Still dry and super thick. The 1st cake is barely cooking in the oven after 30 minutes. So, obviously, I did do something wrong. I’m not really a baker. Can you help?
First cake: I used both kinds of flour as in the recipe, 1 c. coconut palm sugar, instead of 3/4 cup (I wanted it a bit sweeter), palm shortening, organic cocoa powder,