Chocolate (Cauliflower) Cake With Peanut Butter Frosting

My husband doesn’t trust me. He knows my history of baking with unusual ingredients to healthify my recipes. From brownies made with black beans to vegan chocolate doughnuts made with chickpeas to chocolate chip cookie dough fudge made with lentils, he knows if I’m in the kitchen, I’m baking something tasty, but that there’s always a small catch — it’s good for him.

So last weekend was nothing new. The smell of chocolate pulled him into the kitchen. I sliced him a piece of this chocolate cake topped with creamy peanut butter frosting and he devoured it within minutes. “Thanks,” he said, smiling. “For making a normal cake for once.” I smiled. Then he stopped smiling and said, “What? What’s in it?” I pointed to a half-chopped head of cauliflower. He was shocked and said he couldn’t tell at all. WIN!

Soft, spongy, sweet, and everything you want in a chocolate cake, the cauliflower adds a moistness that’s unforgettable. I know it’s sounds totally weird. But if you love using cauliflower for other recipes like pizza crust and in place of oatmeal, and you LOVE cake and all things chocolate, then this recipe is a must try!

Ingredients

For the cake:

1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
3/4 cup white whole-wheat flour
2 tablespoons flaxmeal
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups cauliflower florets
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla
4 tablespoons vegan chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Mini Chips)

For the frosting:

1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
3 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Lightly spray an 8-inch square cake pan.
2. In the food processor, add the almond milk and apple cider vinegar. Leave for five minutes so it can curdle.
3. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
4. Add the cauliflower, canola oil, and vanilla to the food processor with the almond milk and vinegar mixture. Puree a couple minutes until smooth.
5. Add the cauliflower puree to the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until a thick batter forms.
6. Fold in three tablespoons of chocolate chips (leave one tablespoon for the topping).
7. Bake for 30 minutes.
8. While the cake is baking, make the frosting by mixing together the peanut butter, maple syrup, and almond milk.
9. Once the cake has completely cooled, pop it out of the pan and onto a plate.
10. Spread on the peanut butter frosting, sprinkle on the chocolate chips, and enjoy! Store uneaten cake in a covered container.

Information

Category

Desserts, Cake

Yield

9 servings

Cook Time

45 minutes

Nutrition

Calories per serving

225