Healthy Chocolate Cake

Name: Healthy Chocolate Cake
Yield: 16
Ingredients: 1 2/3 cups whole wheat flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 3 teaspoons baking soda; 3 1/2 cups pitted dates, divided; 1 cup pineapple chunks, drained; 1 banana; 1 apple, peeled, cored and cut into pieces; 1 cup shredded beets; 3/4 cup shredded carrots; 1/2 cup shredded zucchini; 4 tablespoons Dr. Fuhrman's Cocoa Powder or other unsweetened, natural cocoa powder; 1/2 cup dried currants; 1 cup chopped walnuts; 1 1/2 cups water; 2 teaspoons alcohol free vanilla extract; 1 cup raw macadamia nuts or raw cashews; 1/2 cup unsweetened soy, hemp or almond milk; 2/3 cup dates, pitted; 1/3 cup brazil nuts or hazelnuts; 2 tablespoons unsweetened, natural cocoa powder; 1 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla extract

By: www.DrFuhrman.com

by 95 members

Category: Desserts

Tag: Anti-Cancer/High Micronutrient

This chocolate cake is always a big hit when it is served at Dr. Fuhrman's events and immersions. It is rich and moist and delivers a healthy serving of fruits and vegetables.

Recipe
My Notes
Nutrition Facts
Ratings & Comments (78)

Serves 16

Ingredients

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CAKE

1 2/3 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

3 teaspoons baking soda

3 1/2 cups pitted dates, divided

1 cup pineapple chunks, drained

1 banana

1 apple, peeled, cored and cut into pieces

1 cup shredded beets

3/4 cup shredded carrots

1/2 cup shredded zucchini

4 tablespoons Dr. Fuhrman's Cocoa Powder or other unsweetened, natural cocoa powder

1/2 cup dried currants

1 cup chopped walnuts

1 1/2 cups water

2 teaspoons alcohol free vanilla extract

CHOCOLATE NUT ICING:

1 cup raw macadamia nuts or raw cashews

1/2 cup unsweetened soy, hemp or almond milk

2/3 cup dates, pitted

1/3 cup brazil nuts or hazelnuts

2 tablespoons unsweetened, natural cocoa powder

1 teaspoon alcohol-free vanilla extract

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Mix flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a small bowl. Set aside.

In blender or food processor, puree 3 cups of the dates, pineapple, banana and apple. Slice remaining 1/2 cup dates into 1/2 inch thick pieces.

In large bowl, mix sliced dates, beets, carrots, zucchini, cocoa powder, currants, walnuts, water, vanilla and flour mixture. Add the blended mixture and mix well. Spread in a nonstick baking pan (see note).

Bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

To make individual servings, bake in muffin pans lined with paper liners. Reduce cooking time to 40-45 minutes.

For the chocolate nut icing, combine all ingredients in a high-powered blender until smooth and creamy. Place a dollop over warm cake and serve or spread on cooled cake.

Notes:
A 9x13 baking pan works well for 16 servings.

A food processor may be used to combine icing ingredients but the icing will not be as smooth.

My Notes: (Click Edit to enter your notes about this recipe)

Serves 16

Per Serving:

Calories 317
Protein 6 g
Carbohydrates 51 g
Sugars 32 g
Total Fat 13.5 g
Saturated Fat 1.8 g
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 256 mg
Fiber 7.6 g
Beta-Carotene 493 ug
Vitamin C 5 mg
Calcium 79 mg
Iron 2.1 mg
Folate 37 ug
Magnesium 80 mg
Potassium 583 mg
Zinc 1.1 mg
Selenium 10.1 ug

My Rating:
(click on a star to select your rating)

angie9911

01/04/2024 11:53 AM

Rated this recipe:

Made this for my mom-in-laws birthday and was fantastic. I actually liked it a lot better cold; together with that awesome frosting it taste like a chocolatey bread pudding. Can't wait to make again and may even a touch less dates next time. I excluded the walnuts and was safe for my little boy who is allergic to nuts- he loved it!

snootch

02/18/2021 10:21 AM

Rated this recipe: (no rating)

Has anyone tried leaving out the chocolate in this recipe and eating as carrot cake? I'm craving carrot cake for my birthday and don't feel confident about adapting my favorite recipe to make it healthy.

Linda P. replies:

03/11/2021 10:42 AM

Rated this recipe: (no rating)

Try the Carrot Cupcakes with Cinnamon Raisin Frosting!

https://www.drfuhrman.com/recipes/1425/carrot-cupcakes-with-cinnamon-raisin-frosting

HealthyMeredith

02/04/2021 07:35 PM

Rated this recipe:

Better than commercial baked good that double the risk of depression with 2 servings per week.

Won't contribute to drug abuse as an adult like candy does (Fast Food Genocide).

This comment was last edited on 02/04/2021 07:38 PM

HealthyMeredith

01/09/2021 07:41 PM

Rated this recipe:

I followed the recipe exactly as written using hazelnuts & macademia nuts.

I found this to be a fruit cake w/ marzipan. I would much prefer bean brownies for simplicity, cost & chocolate flavor. They take 1/4 cost & time.

Reminds me of something I would find in Bavaria, though.

Isilverstein

09/15/2020 05:24 PM

Rated this recipe:

This is an absolutely delicious dessert! Deserves a 5 star rating. I made 24 cupcakes and baked them for 40 minutes. Many of the comments suggested decreasing the amount of water added so I used 1 cup instead of 1 1\2 cups. Esther way you can't go wrong. They are delicious and worth your time. ??

wholefoodsvegan

05/29/2020 08:28 AM

Rated this recipe: (no rating)

FIVE big stars. This is the best chocolate cake I've ever made or eaten, and it's the only cake we've made for family birthdays for the last ten years. We don't add the currents and we use only 1/2 cup of water, but we don't change anything else. I chop the walnuts and the dates the night before to save time. Please try this recipe. You'll be amazed, as are all our omni friends.

BettyC

11/25/2018 11:47 AM

Rated this recipe:

I made this cake in two smaller pans, one for Thanksgiving, one for the freezer. Everyone loved it, even competing with SAD desserts. It will be a permanant addition. The ingredients list is lengthy but dividing the cake into cupcakes or smaller cake pans and freezing extends its usefulness and makes the work of it OK.

llangertx

07/07/2018 01:43 PM

Rated this recipe:

I made these as cupcakes and they tasted wonderful. I shredded vegitables as directed to measure and pureed with the fruit. I used fava bean flour instead of the whole wheat flour. Instead of the water I only used 1 cup unsweetened unflavored hemp milk. I used dried cherries instead of currants. It made 24 cupcakes that baked in about 40 minutes and came out very moist. I added half an avocado to the frosting and some more hemp milk to the frosting in a food processor. Had some texture and tasted great. I would definately make again. I've been using bean flour in most recipes in place of whole wheat flour. You could also use ground millet or quinoa flour.

This comment was last edited on 07/07/2018 01:46 PM

WanderLustWonderer

03/11/2018 08:47 PM

Rated this recipe: (no rating)

These are so good, they feel like they should be illegal!!!

terrymf

12/21/2016 08:56 AM

Rated this recipe: (no rating)

I am eating grain free for just a bit more. Has anyone tried substituting just almond flour? If so how much? What other adjustments did you make?

healthyrochelle

12/20/2016 09:41 AM

Rated this recipe:

This cake was delicious, but almost too sweet! I think I would halve the dates and pineapple next time. It was so sweet my mouth hurt a little. I doubled the cocoa in the icing and used more milk to get it to blend.

Overall, a great birthday cake!

Skiergirl

07/19/2015 11:13 AM

Rated this recipe:

I need to eat gluten free so I made this recipe with 1 2/3 oat flour and it turned out awesome. I had tried this recipe when I first started eating ETL many years ago and remembered not liking the grittiness of the cake so this time I processed all the ingredients so I would have a smooth consistency, but left the walnuts in their chopped form to have a little of a crunch. I made these as cupcakes and did not use the icing because my kitchen was already a major mess just making the cupcakes - I guess I was also making a big pot of soup at the time so maybe that is why my kitchen was such a mess too. My non ETL family devoured the cupcakes, and even commented... "are you sure these are good for me?" Especially my son, whom I have great difficulty getting to eat healthy foods ate these like crazy. I hardly got to eat any of them. For some reason I have an aversion to beets so this is the way I can eat beets. Next time I will make more with the millions of beets I keep getting from my CSA...

Dceident

05/16/2015 04:02 PM

Rated this recipe:

I've made this twice now and love it. I reduced the water to half a cup, and that worked great. Also, it's very adaptable to switching up the ingredients, I.e. I had no zucchini today, so I just used more beets and carrots. With the icing, I had run out of dates, so I used a combination of dried cranberries and raisins and it was still great. My husband even said this one was better than the first one. Great recipe!

katykaren2

02/28/2015 06:29 AM

Rated this recipe: (no rating)

I have made this cake five times. It is the best chocolate cake I have ever tasted. Last night I forgot the water and then let it overcook by ten minutes on accident. Also, I was out of walnuts so used pecans. It was the best ever.

terrymf

02/14/2015 12:59 PM

Rated this recipe: (no rating)

I LOVE this cake. It's turned out yummy every time I've made it following the recipe. I served it to my brother, sister-in-law and 2 college age kids when they visited. They ate seconds. I gave 2 pieces to my son who detests beets. He liked it. My stepdaughter made it for her in-laws and the loved it. It's a keeper in my book.

I'm a new member and so reading reviews of adaptations is really helpful. I had been wondering about substituting other types of flour and baking it in other types of pans. I'll try a bundt pan & cupcakes. I've only read one comment about freezing. I'd be interested in knowing others experience with that as it does make a really big cake.

I can't figure out how to enter a rating but I give it stars. How DO I enter a rating?

This comment was last edited on 02/14/2015 01:01 PM

Arrowvet

03/08/2014 03:52 PM

Rated this recipe:

I have made this recipe many times-it's one of my favorites. Sometimes I add organic dried unsweetened cranberries, or shredded unsweetened coconut. I've also made it with cherries-lots of work, but delicious! I've also adapted it to make carot cake- using some cinnamon instead of cocoa, and all carrots.

driese

02/09/2014 10:27 PM

Rated this recipe:

This cake is amazing, I served it at Thanksgiving and again for a party. My guests could not believe how good it tasted and that there are no refined oils or sugars in it. The baking time is about 20 minutes longer than stated, however. The first time I had trouble with it sticking in the pan so the second time I lined the pan with parchment paper. No troubles now. I highly recommend lining the pan with parchment paper for this recipe.

Shelby

10/28/2013 12:50 PM

Rated this recipe:

This cake was amazing! I took it to work and treated co-workers to small squares (like delicious brownies) with the creamy smooth icing and fresh strawberries to top it off. People LOVED it-couldn't believe it was made the vegetables. Note: a. I couldn't find 'real' currants, so those were left out, b. I pureed all vegetables and dates with the Vitamix-the only texture was from the nuts. Heaven.

mollycoddled

07/18/2013 03:59 PM

Rated this recipe:

Made this recipe this morning, turned out 24 very nice size cupcakes. I read here that baking time should be about 20 - 25 mins and someone else said 30 - 35 but I don't think they were ready after 35 so I left them in for 10 more minutes. I was too tempted to refrain from eating them until the next day, so I brought one with me to work. Glad I did because someone brought in 2 doz donuts ...ugh! My little brownie/muffin was a perfect treat to keep me from sneaking a donut. It was so delicious that I cannot even imagine it being any better the next day. I plan to freeze them because I'm not sharing them with anyone at work now!! They are sooo good. I also reduced the water to just 1 cup and I only used 3 cups dates, total. Other than that, the recipe was made exactly. I haven't even made the frosting yet, but now I'm not so sure I want to since the cupcake was super delicious as is.

mollycoddled

07/18/2013 03:58 PM

Rated this recipe:

tiffs.labyrinth

07/05/2013 10:37 AM

Rated this recipe:

WARNING: This cake is dangerous
Someone posted earlier about making this cake for an event and not to just have at home because they could eat the whole thing by themselves. I will second that comment. This is heavenly!! I justified having a piece for breakfast because it has vegetables, fruit and nuts. Is that wrong? I can't figure out whether I should feel guilty about this or not. :)

I did what previous people said about not using the water but using 1 cup almond milk instead. I also used 1 cup each of the beets, carrot and zucchini. They were finely grated and there was no overt veggie taste in the cake and it was neither too wet nor too dry. I didn't have big clumps of anything in the cake except the walnuts and raisins. YUMMY!!

Oh also I used Bob's Red Mill brand gluten free baking flour. It's really awesome to find such a wonderful dessert that I think comes close to a traditional favorite that is dairy free, wheat free, and (processed) sugar free. Whoever came up with this is a culinary genius!

This comment was last edited on 07/06/2013 09:43 AM

baker1111

04/06/2013 02:26 PM

Rated this recipe: (no rating)

I used coconut flour gluten free the batter seamed really dry so i added about 1 more cup of water.

jel

03/21/2013 07:07 PM

Rated this recipe: (no rating)

I was so excited to make this cake, but it seems to be "too much" beet taste and grainy, Has anyone else had this problem... I will try to make this again but wondered if any else had problems with this... hopeful...but some what disappointed.

Serafina57

03/18/2013 05:48 PM

Rated this recipe: (no rating)

My husband is the baker in our home, so I'm just the taster on this one.

I think we would reduce the liquid next time too. It's very sweet, I had to wonder if my husband snuck some sugar in it, but we don't have any in the house, so that's out.

It's really tasty! I have Celiac Disease, so we had to substitute gluten free flour and we used unsweetened coconut milk.

VERONIQUE

03/13/2013 04:43 PM

Rated this recipe: (no rating)

Thank you fancypants I almost gave up reading this long string of comments; then bingo I came to yours and there was my answer. I wondered if there was a gluten free option;can I ask you one question? Did your sister use the same amount of Quinoa flour for the whole wheat? I will make this now with Quinoa flour and make it into individual muffins. I can't wait to try it. :) Oh thank you too Dr. Fuhrman

djandkellen

03/06/2013 08:25 PM

Rated this recipe:

Okay, so I made this last night. I tried something a little different since I saw many people say that it was like a fruit cake with a little sorta chocolate taste thrown in. So, I figured why not blend all the veggies, fruits and chocolate to make more of a liquid to mix with the flour. So, that's what i did. I used unsweetened vanilla hemp milk instead of water, and probably could have reduced the amount (I only used about a cup). I added much more cocoa powder b/c I felt it didn't have enough chocolate flavor. I adjusted the baking powder/soda amounts (more powder/less soda) - and will moreso next time I make this. I had to use 2 cups of the whole wheat pasty flour, and next time I will probably use a little stone ground whole wheat flour to give it a little heartier texture. Oh, I also forgot to add the walnuts - which can sometimes help "dry out" a cake. I don't think it would have made a significant difference, though.

While it was baking, I was very hopeful! It rose nicely and I looked as is if was setting. But, as others have said, it was really wet still after baking for 1.5 hours. I think the moisture content was a little too high; so, I will probably use less of the additional liquid (hemp milk/water) and a little more flour. I pretty much scooped it out of the pan last night and we ate it with the frosting - vanilla instead of chocolate - its what my 2.5 and 4 yr olds wanted. It was good then. But, a little later, it really didn't taste good. I was nervous, and I almost threw it away. But, I saved it, put it into the fridge and tried it again today - heated in the microwave with the frosting. It was REALLY good! It was more of a brownie texture than cake, for me. Again, I will play around with it more next time I make it to get it cakier (this is the baker in me)!

But, I wanted to let you all know that if you want it a little less fruit cakey, then you could try blending it all up! Worked for me! :)

kgbro

02/24/2013 11:05 PM

Rated this recipe:

YUMM this cake turned out perfect, my 2yr old LOVES it so I will def be making this again. Recipe was spot on, just have to adjust oven time to 55mins as mine burnt a little on top but scraped it off, turned it upside down, iced it..fridge and tried it the next day! tastes like sticky date pudding, cant believe there is no sugar, so butter, no dairy, and still tastes so rich and amazing even with beets,carrots and zucchini all up in there!

kgbro

02/23/2013 05:57 AM

Rated this recipe:

Im in the process of making this cake right now in the oven, the mixture was perfect not too much fluid at all - it dawned on me the reason some of y'all may have this issue with too much fluid is when I initially read the recipe I thought it was 1 x 2/3 cup of flour...when its actually 1 & 2/3 cups flour...right?? which would def make a big difference! just a thought...just saying - also I don't think the pineapple juice itself is required as it needs to be drained..the recipe just meant pineapple in its own natural juice not syrup etc.

This comment was last edited on 02/27/2013 06:50 AM

nousmak

02/10/2013 03:04 PM

Rated this recipe:

Had this cake at the San Francisco Immersion. It was excellent. Decided to make this for a friends birthday and made it in large size muffin tins. I cooked them for 40 minutes. Came out great! Will definately make these again.

This comment was last edited on 03/03/2013 06:25 PM

Elaine Garces

02/08/2013 02:51 PM

Rated this recipe:

10 Stars/Off the chart! This dessert is #1 on my list of Dr. Fuhrman recipes. I've made it a dozen times (always with organic ingredients). I share it with others often: I give out a piece of it, all of it or just the recipe. ;)

It tastes even better the longer it sits in the frig. I have a Subzero so it lasts quite a long time! It freezes perfectly (icing and toppings included). A small piece goes a long way - incredibly satisfying! This dessert is amazing.

I prefer almond milk or coconut almond milk for the icing. I use Vitamix and gradually increase the speed until it's velvety smooth. I top it with chopped organic Brazil Nuts, shredded coconut and a light dusting of cocoa powder. I trim it with fresh fruit - the variations are endless.

As for the "cake" part, it does come out different fairly often. Oh, the suspense - but never less than 5 stars!

Andrew:

I use some, not all of the liquids from the shredded beets, carrots and zucchini. If I use all the liquids I exchange that amount for the water. Or I use some of the excess liquids for a fruit/veg juice!

I use fresh pineapple - so there’s not much juice.

I hope this makes a difference ...

This comment was last edited on 02/08/2013 04:58 PM

andrewb

01/04/2013 12:55 AM

Rated this recipe: (no rating)

HELP! I am perplexed with this one. Twice I have made this cake, and twice it has turned out like a sloppy, wet pudding enveloped in a thin, chewy, cake-like shell. Sure enough, I see a picture of the cake online and notice that it actually looks like cake. Hmm, what could I be doing wrong, or is there a typo in the book?

The only thing I notice between the book recipe and the online version is the lack of specifying "pastry" flour on the site here. Well, I couldn't find whole wheat pastry flour, so I used the only pastry flour I could find, unbleached pastry flour. Could using plain whole wheat flour fix my problem? I already left the cake in for an additional 30 mins! Please help.

Any advice is welcome as I am making it my personal challenge to get this cake right. I read that many of you leave out some water, or forget to put it in all together. Also, I do like the suggestions of pureeing the veggies instead of shredding them.

This comment was last edited on 01/04/2013 12:58 AM

ebrimhall

12/31/2012 08:05 PM

Rated this recipe: (no rating)

I made these as cupcakes for my boyfriend's birthday. He loved them! He is normally not a cake person, but he loved that these were so fudgy and that they were healthy! What a wonderful way to celebrate a birthday--by eating something healthy that will contribute to the long life we all hope to live!

I made a couple adjustments some may be interested in:

I made mine GLUTEN FREE :-) (boyfriend is gluten intolerant) I do a mix of equal parts teff, buckwheat, mesquite, almond, and sweet potato "flours" that i substitute for the whole wheat flour.

once you have all the dry and wet ingredients mixed together, add the following:

4 tbsp boiling water + a generous pinch of ground chia seed + a generous pinch of ground flax seed. This should make you a goopy paste that is not only nutritious, but helps substitute for the gluten.

It makes for a bit longer baking time and a more moist cake, they were definitely better after refrigerating.

Plus, for the frosting, I didn't do the cocoa, I just did two vanilla beans and it was amazing vanilla icing! I refrigerated it in a piping bag until it was quite cold, then piped it onto cooled cupcakes. They looked so cute!

ebrimhall

12/31/2012 07:33 PM

Rated this recipe: (no rating)

citizenofheaven

12/30/2012 03:15 PM

Rated this recipe:

This freezes/thaws wonderfully ... no difference ... my gosh is this good! ... I plan to make it next weekend for an office party the following week ... I hope they like it ... only one in my family did, the ETLer ... all SAD eaters in the family didn't like it ...

eat4me

12/30/2012 12:01 AM

Rated this recipe:

This cake is delicious. I used 3/4 cups of water because of all the too moist comments. I found it to be delicious still warm. I can't wait to try it in a day or 2 because of previous post :)

citizenofheaven

12/26/2012 01:26 PM

Rated this recipe:

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO EAT THIS CAKE ON THE SAME DAY THAT YOU MAKE IT... THE DISAPPOINTMENT WILL BE HUGE... OH WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES!!!... it's a super-moist chocolate brownie with a chocolate, cool whip-like, frosting! ... WOWZA, WOWZA, WHOA!! SOOOOO DELICIOUS!! ... yesterday I thought it was headed for the trash ... it was nasty just out of the oven ...... today it's on a pedestal, and already in the "keeper" cookbook!!! ... its rich and delicious ... by the by, I used 3/4 cup of water and baked it for 50 minutes ... my vegetables were grated by hand and the 1/2 cup of dates were finely diced, as were the currants (I used dried plums) ... the flour I made from whole grain organic spelt in the vitamix ... the 3 cup date mixture was pureed in the vitamix too ... no vegetable or fruit was chunky in the cake/brownie a day later ... the only chunks were the nuts....I would highly recommend this recipe but only if you plan to eat it a day or 2 later --not one bite before then!

This comment was last edited on 12/26/2012 01:44 PM

Kissimee replies:

03/23/2017 03:14 PM

Rated this recipe:

I agree! It was so gross coming out of the oven, but a friend told me it would be better on day two. Boy, was she right!! So glad I made this the day before my husband's birthday. He and the kids are SAD eaters, and they loved it, going back for seconds and thirds!! It was like a different cake on day two.

losinw8

12/17/2012 04:39 PM

Rated this recipe:

I made this cake into cupcakes for my husband's birthday. Our SAD eating friends even enjoyed it and shocked at the ingredients list. A hit for sure. Makes 24 cupcakes. Baked at 35 min, they were perfect.

VThomas

12/14/2012 11:15 AM

Rated this recipe:

This is a great recipe LOVE it!!! Difference is this makes you feel good after eating:)

fancypants

12/07/2012 12:11 AM

Rated this recipe:

I have never really been a chocolate lover (odd, I know), but when my sister made this cake with quinoa flour and without the icing - I knew I would add it to my list of favorites. I've made it twice since and freeze them in individual portions. Awesome for lunch or dinner dessert, thanks. So satisfying.

Toneka

07/21/2012 10:33 AM

Rated this recipe:

I made this for the second time(first time Thanksgiving 2011) and enjoyed it more than ever. I made it as written except I didn't have a zucchini so I increased the carrots and beets. I used canned beets this time and grated them. (I used fresh last time.) I used a glass 9 x 13 pan and cooked for 1 hr. and 10 min. Like many ETL recipes this one is time consuming, but after cooking ETL for a year, I have accepted this as part of the big picture of healthy eating.
Do yourself a favor and make this wonderful treat.

cmorffi

05/06/2012 07:12 PM

Rated this recipe:

I made this for the first time last night and was extremely happy with the outcome. I followed the recipe as written and it was delicious. The only change I would recommend is to puree the veggies. I like a smooth, moist cake with a crunchy, nutty texture.

veg4life

04/25/2012 03:54 PM

Rated this recipe:

Just made the Healthy Chocolate Cake for my husband's birthday celebration with friends last night. Everyone loved it! I think it tastes very rich, but not overly sweet which I prefer. It is a dense cake, so please don't expect the light and fluffy texture of a Betty Crocker mix. This is a special occasion recipe and I made it for a group so that my husband and I are not tempted to eat the whole thing ourselves!

On my food scale the 3.5 C plus the 2/3 C of dates for the frosting came to 24 oz.

I used only 1 C. water in the recipe, not 1& 1/2 C. but otherwise followed it to the letter. Oh, except I added another tablespoon of cocoa powder to the frosting as it did not seem chocolatey enough to me. I used a glass 9 X 13 pan so I lowered the cooking temp by 15 degrees. I cooled the cake by elevating the pan on a wire rack so the bottom didn't get soggy and frosted it after it was room temperature.

mikenteena

01/19/2012 03:08 PM

Rated this recipe:

Just realized that I forgot to add the water to the cake and the texture is great, so maybe that is what is making some of yours too wet. :)

mikenteena

01/19/2012 02:49 PM

Rated this recipe:

I'm sorry that "happyhealth" had such a bad experience. I have been doing ETL for 4 months now and have had no "cake" or chocolate for awhile. I made this today with the thought that I would take it to a birthday celebration in 2 days and I just had a small piece after lunch. I am seriously concerned that there won't be enough left by Sat. to take to the party!!! This is WONDERFUL!!! Now, I didn't have any beets, so I increased the carrots and zucchini to compensate. Also, I added another tablespoon of cocoa to the icing and about 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. After using hazelnuts, I felt the added flavor was needed to counteract. Enjoy!!

happyhealth

01/05/2012 12:39 AM

Rated this recipe:

Sorry to say this recipe went straight from the oven to our family all tasting it and then directly to the garbage. It tasted like beets and was a lot of money to make. Don't waste your time or money on this one.

kmazz

01/02/2012 05:51 PM

Rated this recipe: (no rating)

it seems to me that the calories per serving are very high.... am i missing something here?

laurenstyle

11/23/2011 03:03 PM

Rated this recipe:

I love this cake sooooooooooo much! I used to be a professional wedding cake baker, so I am telling you, I was overjoyed to be able to create a beautiful cake again!!! Yippee!! Next time, I'm going to do more of puree on the veggies to make the outcome more smooth. I don't like chunks in my cake. I also agree it is best to make this cake a few days in advance and let it set in the fridge I'm making one for a get together this Saturday and will make it on Thursday so it will be perfect. I also made cupcakes from it and they were awesome. The frosting is just DIVINE!!!!!!!!

Alabama Rick

11/20/2011 12:55 PM

Rated this recipe:

I love this cake. I love chocolate. It is funny to see all the fruit and veggies in the processor and think "this goes into a cake?" Really rich chocolate taste. Has to be loaded with nutrients and phytochemicals.

PreacherLady

11/02/2011 04:09 PM

Rated this recipe: (no rating)

This was very good. My husband made it for my birthday. FOr a veggie/fruit cake I was pleased with the moist cake and sweet chocolate nut icing. Very good but a LOT of work!

Wild Flower

10/24/2011 01:57 PM

Rated this recipe:

I finally like cake thanks to this recipe. I even had it for breakfast this morning! I made this recipe for company this weekend and we all were delighted with it. My husband is convinced our SAD eating family members will like it better than SAD chocolate cake. It takes a long time to make compared to other ETL recipes, but it's worth it. This will be standard recipe for company and holidays from now on. Thank you for this great recipe.

zuchini

08/07/2011 05:24 PM

Rated this recipe:

I agree with the others that the vegetables need to be more finely grated. I used less liquid as some also did. I adapted the recipe as follows:
1/2 + 1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 t baking powder
2 t baking soda
1 3/4 c pitted dates, divided
1/2 c pineapple chunks in water
1/2 banana
1/2 c unsweetened applesauce
1/2 c raw shredded beets
1/2 c raw shredded carrots
1 1/2 T cocoa powder
1/4 c raisins or currants
1/2 c chopped walnuts
3/4 c water
1 t vanilla extract

ICING
1 c raw macadamia nuts or raw cashews, unsalted, or mixture of both
1 c soy milk
2/3 c pitted dates
1/3 c brazil nuts
2 T cocoa powder OR 1/4 c blended papaya for a great and different icing
1 t vanilla extract

Mix as per original recipe and bake for one hour. VERY, VERY YUMMY

gailemail

07/05/2011 09:12 PM

Rated this recipe:

Instead of grating the veggies, I chop them finely in the food processor. This helps the little kids not realize what is in them. I like to make them into cupcakes. I call them muffins and don't add the frosting.
Tip: They are much better and moister the next day! I let them sit over night in a Tupperware with the lid a little open. Anything we don't eat that day, I freeze for later.

JanaS

05/31/2011 11:54 AM

Rated this recipe:

We made this for the first time last night and it turned out great! Much more like a brownie or pudding cake but tasted great. My 6 year old loved it as well. I had no problems with the amount of liquid in the recipe and it came out fine. The frosting is fabulous and I will definitely be using it as a "go-to" healthy frosting in the future.
I think next time I will puree the veggies a bit to try and make it a bit smoother. Overall a great recipe!

carriegf1

03/02/2011 09:45 PM

Rated this recipe:

I am in love with this recipe.

HealthinMadrid

02/20/2011 05:04 PM

Rated this recipe:

Hands down, THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE EVER! (Make sure you have an event/party to bring it too, otherwise you might be tempted to eat it all yourself!)
Carriegf1, I used raw beets, just grated them up. It was lovely. :O)
For the gluten-free crowd, I used brown rice flour and it was delicious.

This comment was last edited on 02/20/2011 05:05 PM

carriegf1

01/24/2011 05:41 PM

Rated this recipe:

How does one prepare the beets for this recipe? I assume it calls for cooked beets and not raw? I'm not that familiar with using beets. Thanks.

SnowWhite_7 replies:

07/14/2018 08:30 PM

Rated this recipe: (no rating)

You steam, pressure cook, or cook in water the beets. When they are cool you peal them. Then you can grate them for the recipe. Canned ones work too and save time.

bimimoze

12/12/2010 04:53 AM

Rated this recipe:

Absolutely beautiful. So moist. Everyone was astounded that it had no oil or eggs. i will make this again and again. I made it for a special family function. Everyone loved it and 3 people asked for the recipe. I will be making this for Christmas day instead of the traditional pudding.

I didn't have apple sauce but i used a large can of pineapple(800gm)and i only put 1 cup of water in. i also only had whole wheat so i put it in the Vitamix and made fresh flour.

Boya

12/08/2010 02:21 AM

Rated this recipe:

This is good but has NOTHING to do with chocolate cake. It's more like a fruit cake or something...

freakyg

09/01/2010 08:38 PM

Rated this recipe:

WOW!!! This is VERY VERY GOOD! My wife and I absolutely love this. We will be keeping one of these on hand at all times!

This comment was last edited on 09/01/2010 08:40 PM

Fruitloops

07/27/2010 05:50 PM

Rated this recipe:

This is soooooooooooooooo good! I made mine into cupcakes--what a treat!!

map80

03/18/2010 10:38 AM

Rated this recipe:

Rich and decadent - what a treat!! Made according to the directions, but used a glass baking pan so lowered the oven temp 25 degrees. Baked just under 1 hour when toothpick came out clean. Cake was deliciously moist, but no problems at all with getting done in the middle. The creamy chocolate frosting was perfect. Will look forward to making again!

This comment was last edited on 03/18/2010 04:43 PM

pkmessick

12/12/2009 03:34 PM

Rated this recipe:

Spent 2 hours on the prep time. Not bad as I have virtually no kitchen skills. It turned out great! It looks just like the picture. I took some to my parents and they both liked it. I didn't tell the ingredients until after they tasted it. It is a great tasting cake. I didn't notice water in the ingredients and did not add water. It was just right!

08/23/2009 09:36 AM

Rated this recipe:

I teach an Eat for Health class and have pot luck dinners throughout the series. Last night we had one and one of my students made this cake. It was absolutely fabulous! There were 25 people and everyone loved it. It is the perfect cake for a special gathering. It was the first time she made it and it could not have been better!

zuchini

08/03/2009 06:00 PM

Rated this recipe:

*****
I also used a bundt pan, and lowered the time 1/2 hour (Frangipanni above wrote increased time with bundt but i think meant to say DECREASED). I also decreased the water to one cup and used 1/2 c water and 1/2 c soymilk. I didn't have a zucchini , despite my name, and increased the beets and carrots. For the icing i used soaked cashews and unsoaked macadamia nuts. Anyway, in conclusion, our SAD guests loved it and we were in heaven.

rmb

03/21/2009 09:11 AM

Rated this recipe:

this cake is also great with a coconut milk frosting... put a can of coconut milk in fridge for at least 12 hours or more. Open can, skim off thicker stuff (like 2/3 of the can - i use the watery stuff at the bottom in a smoothie), add enough unsweetened coconut flakes (for consistency) and then use that to frost. It's more like whipped cream than frosting (i add just a bit of agave nectar too) but I like it better than the nut one. Its a bit lighter... ;) VERY yummy (although you have to put it on right before serving - after it sits for a few hours, the coconut milk turns brown (still tastes fine). This one is a staple in our house! :)

vbpets replies:

05/30/2019 05:45 PM

Rated this recipe: (no rating)

Coconut milk (especially full fat) is not compliant on Nutritarian diet style.

kismet

02/25/2009 07:30 PM

Rated this recipe:

Well, for some reason it seems that my loooooong cheerleading review of this cake has disappeared in the ethers.

I will keep it short and just say that this was a 5 star dessert for a dinner party of mixed ETLers, semi-ETLers, and SAD eaters.

It was a huge success and has already been requested for the next dinner party!!

Oddprofessor

02/15/2009 04:05 PM

Rated this recipe:

This is pretty good, although as others have noted, there's too much liquid in the recipe. I scorched the edges a little trying to get the middle "done." And I think for the frosting I will use almond milk instead of soy milk. The frosting has a kind of soy taste that I don't care for much.

Still, it's a pretty good dessert.

SAH

10/13/2008 09:16 AM

Rated this recipe:

I followed the receipe exactly except I put in cranrasins instead of currants. The cake wasn't done in one hour and I think it needs less fluid. Not as good as I had hoped, and to much time invested in the prep and clean-up. If I made this again, I would reduce some liquid and only half the batch.

Monica & Ryan

09/21/2008 02:29 AM

Rated this recipe:

I served this to a non-ETL bunch and they wouldn't eat more than one bite. I reduced the liquid as some suggested, but it was still overly moist and I wouldn't really consider it to be a true cake. I thought that the icing was great! It was a bit of trouble to make with quite a bit of prep and clean-up.

frangipanni

04/03/2008 12:53 AM

Rated this recipe:

baked this cake to the recipe except found that it needed less fluid. I used 1 cup soy milk instead of 1 1/2 cups water. I used a bundt cake pan and the cooking time needed to be increased by approx 30 mins. It came out of the tin fine and is delicious. I will test a piece for freezing tonight and see how it goes and will post result. I enjoyed "licking the bowl" as well, great to think it was healthy too.

rmb

03/08/2008 04:03 PM

Rated this recipe:

I've been playing with this recipe a bit... I find i like the texture a bit more if i juice the veggies in the blender instead of grating them...it also saves time :)

Jolieprix

02/14/2008 08:36 PM

Rated this recipe:

I loved this cake! We had it for Valentine's Day. Definitely five stars. My kids just ate it up. My husband, who completely supports this lifestyle and agrees with it, thinks its deceptive since it looks like a chocolate cake but tastes healthy. My family and some of my friends agreed that it shouldn't be called a cake, more like a pudding cake or a type of bread pudding so people aren't so deceived when they eat it. These friends who have just started ETL and liked it a lot, although their kids weren't that thrilled with it. I definitely prefer this cake to any unhealthy version since I love the texture, moistness and denseness of this cake. I'll for sure be making this again for birthdays and other special ocassions.

dtougas

01/10/2008 08:42 PM

Rated this recipe:

I baked this cake tonight with much success. I had beets to use and this recipe was just the ticket. I replaced the zucchini & carrots with equal parts beets, in addition to the beets called for. I also used my gluten free baking mix (3 parts brown rice flour, 1 part garbanzo bean flour, 1 part potato starch, 1/2 part tapioca flour) instead of wheat flour. We ate it warm from the oven so it was moist but not too gooey. If I had let it cool a bit I would be confident serving to SAD guests. I didn't have time to make the icing so we ate just the cake and our family of 5 (3 young kids) finished half the pan.

This comment was last edited on 01/10/2008 08:43 PM

Earny

12/27/2007 02:01 PM

Rated this recipe: (no rating)

I made this for a Christmas dinner desert. It is very good. I would describe it more as a chocolate fruit cake. 5 STARS!!

This comment was last edited on 12/27/2007 02:02 PM

Cynthialko

12/24/2007 10:32 AM

Rated this recipe: (no rating)

I made this for the first time for a friend's birthday. I was a little nervous - beets in a cake - but it turned out really well. Not knowing what to expect, I followed the recipe exactly.

My husband even came back for more later in the evening. I would definitely make this again.

rmb

10/07/2007 07:17 PM

Rated this recipe:

This was really good - even my very into SAD food father liked it. I made it with 1/2 c. beets and 1 c. carrots (i misjudged how many beets i had) and I used cashews/hazelnuts for the frosting (which my 2 year old LOVED LOVED LOVED...would eat like pudding if I let him...) My blender (Blendtec) had a problem with the thickness of the frosting, but i just used my food processor instead and didnt feel like it was too grainy at all. The cake is very moist -- more like one of those choc volcano cakes (the flourless ones) than a Duncan Hines cake. Very rich tasting too.. I could only eat a small piece, and it made a HUGE cake. Next time, I'll probably make half. (Anyone try freezing this yet?)

Stanley of Kinderhook Lake

07/08/2007 07:59 PM

Rated this recipe:

The Fuhrman Spa Retreat featured this recipe at a cooking session and also it was a dinner dessert. When we returned home I decided to make it for July 4th. It was as good, if not better, than what was served in Utah. SAD eaters ate and enjoyed it. Several people asked me for the recipe. I hope they make it if they invite us for dinner. 5 Stars

jarred

02/01/2007 09:44 PM

Rated this recipe:

My wife made this to take on our trip to Disney so the kids could get their chocolate fix. We loved the taste and texture-just like a fudgy cake. I would leave out the applesauce next time to make it a little drier--more like brownies.

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Healthy Chocolate Cake

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