I love chocolate cake. I think it's safe to say that most people do. It is, after all, an all-time classic for dessert lovers. This cake, however, uses two ingredients that are considered unconventional, making for a gritty, earthy tasting cake, but still delicious. The cake is moist, not too sweet, and the frosting just melts in your mouth!

If you need to balance the texture a bit you can serve the cake with ice cream or a berry coulis!

This is a flourless cake, and the substitute I used was tigernut flour. The ancient grain dates back to the Egyptians and is considered a superfood by some. Alternatively, you could use almond, cassava, or any other gluten-free flour. Tigernut is a starchy root with a nutty taste, and they are great for your gut due to their prebiotic fibre content.

Many ancient grains that are better alternatives health-wise compared to the processed grains we eat today. The good news is a lot of them are making a comeback!

I also used goat milk in both the batter and the cream cheese frosting. Goat milk has a very unique, tangy flavour compared to cow's or plant-based milk, giving the frosting a subtle, earthy taste as well.

I also used Greek yoghurt cream cheese, which ensured the frosting didn’t have the metallic taste the sugar often gives the icing!

Ingredients

Cake:

1/3 cup white sugar

6 tablespoons cocoa powder

2 teaspoons vanilla

1 teaspoon espresso powder

1/3 cup goat milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups tigernut flour

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder

3 eggs

Frosting:

1 packet (8 ounce) Greek yoghurt cream cheese (room temperature)

1/4 cup melted chocolate

2 1/2 tablespoons goat milk

1/4 cup butter (room temperature)

Pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon espresso powder

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

1 1/2 cups icing sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup cocoa powder

Instructions

For the cake, in a large bowl mix the dry ingredients and make sure there are no lumps.

Make a well then pour in the beaten wet ingredients. Fold the egg mixture into the batter and mix until smooth and well incorporated with no lumps.

Prepare a baking tin (I used an 8-inch cake tin) and pour in the batter.
Bake at 350F for 15-20 minutes or until the cake firms and a toothpick comes out clean in the middle. Set aside to cool.

Make the frosting. With an electric mixer, blend all the ingredients. Add more icing sugar or milk according to your desired frosting consistency.

Chill the frosting in the fridge until you are ready to frost the cooled cake!