FODMAP Diet Friendly Coconut Flour Chocolate Cake

I suddenly needed a FODMAP diet chocolate cake recipe the other day for a friend and couldn't find one I thought was both tasty and healthy enough so I had an experiment in the kitchen and came up with this delicious FODMAP diet plan friendly Coconut Flour Chocolate Cake. This is a pudding-type cake which is similar in texture to a chocolate mousse cake. It's gluten-free and grain free and is sweetened almost entirely by natural sources. Coconut flour makes it high in fibre and it is also much lower in calories than a traditional chocolate cake. Whilst it does contain dried fruit (which you can see on the printable FODMAP list of foods here, is only ok in small quantities), the amount per slice is only equal to about 3/4 of a date so should be tolerable for most people - but as always, be guided by your own judgement. The recipe makes one small cake but you could double the recipe and increase the cooking time by 15 minutes to make a large, deeper 23cm cake.

Ingredients:

50g coconut flour

20g cocoa 

2 medium eggs

2 medium egg whites

150ml almond milk

100g dried, pitted dates

1 medium banana

1 tablespoon sunflower or macadamia nut oil (you could use coconut oil but I'm not sold on the supposed health benefits)

40g dark, dairy free chocolate

1/2 tsp instant espresso powder (optional)

1/4 tsp salt

1tsp vanilla extract

1tsp gluten-free baking powder

Makes 8 slices

Heat the dates with the almond milk in a small pan or the microwave until they begin to soften. Add the banana, chocolate, oil and vanilla essence to the date and milk mix and then puree in a blender. Allow to cool for 10 minutes whilst you prepare the dry ingredients.

Place the coconut flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and espresso powder in a large bowl and stir together. Add the date mix, followed by the eggs and beat well for 2 minutes (you could use your blender again for this or food processor/stand mixer).

Grease a 15cm cake pan and pour in the cake batter. Smooth the top and give the tin one good whack on the kitchen counter to help level the mix.

Bake at 150C/300F for 20 minutes of until the centre has risen slightly and is just set. Remove from the oven and allow it to cool in the tin for 30 mins before plating up.