The past week I had the joy of making a Paleo compliant birthday cake. The Crossfit gym my parents go to is doing a 100 day Paleo challenge, and because one of the gals participating didn’t want to lose any points simply because it was her birthday, I had the privilege of making her Zen Belly’s No Joke Dark Chocolate Cake. The feedback was great, as both individuals of the couple told my mom that it was so good they were eating it for breakfast. I have made Zen Belly’s cake a few times now, the first being using tigernut flour in place of the almond flour to make it nut-free for a friend. I am happy to say that both results came out fantastic, and it is definitely my go-to cake for those looking for an indulgence. Today’s recipe is the chocolate frosting that I made to occompany the latest cake that I made, of which is sweetened with dates instead of refined, powered sugar. Of course, 18 dates might seem like a lot at first glance, however, if you compare it to the multiple cups of cane sugar that is typically used in a buttercream frosting, you will realize it is not that much after all. As a note, today’s frosting can be made autoimmune-protocol compliant, simply by using carob in place of the cocoa, of which will allow you to reduce the amounts of dates used in the recipe as carob is rather sweet on its own. Enjoy, and don’t forget to lick the spoon! (See my egg, nut, seed, and coconut free Triple Threat Chocolate Cake)
Date Sweetened Dark Chocolate Frosting
Print Recipe
(Frosts a 2 tier, 8 inch cake)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup non-hydrogenated palm shortening
- 18 pitted medjool dates
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tbsp arrowroot powder
Process
- In a small bowl, soak dates in hot water until soft (30 minutes).
- Remove the pits from the dates, and place them in a food processor.
- Add 1 cup of the shortening to the food processor, and blend until the mixture has become smooth.
- Add in remaining 1/2 cup shortening and vanilla extract, blending until smooth.
- Mix together cocoa, sea salt, and arrowroot in a dish, then spoon the dry ingredients into the wet, and allowing the processor to run until it has become fully incorporated.
Recipe Notes
Avoid over-mixing – If you process the mixture too long, the shortening will start to break down and you will have to allow it to firm up before re-mixing.
The cake pictured is Zenbelly’s No Joke Dark Chocolate Cake.
To make AIP-friendly, use carob in place of the cocoa, and decrease the sweetness by removing at the last, half of the dates, or more to taste.
2 Corinthians 5:21 “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him”