Healthy Dairy-Free Chocolate Cake

THIS IS THE BEST CHOCOLATE CAKE I HAVE EVER HAD! It's rich, gooey and fudgy...Everything that a good chocolate cake should be really! The whole family have tried this recipe and nobody guessed the secret ingredient! Can you?

It's COURGETTE! I know it sounds weird but you just have to trust me on this one!

You can't taste the courgette. You don't even notice it's there, but it makes the cake super moist and fudgy. Anyway, why not include 1 of your 5 a day in your dessert?!

Serves: 10 (let's face it though, it's that moorish it could probably serve 2 haha)

Takes: 1 hour

Prep time: 15 minutes

For a step by step video on how to make my Healthy Chocolate Cake, check out my YouTube video linked below:

Ingredients:

- 120g plain flour

- 50g cocoa powder

- 1 tsp baking soda

- 1/2 tsp salt

- 2 large eggs

- 60g dairy-free yoghurt (I used Alpro plain soya yoghurt)

- 60g oil (preferably coconut, rapeseed or vegetable but you can use olive oil). If you use coconut oil melt it first and allow it to cool slightly before adding.

- 100g brown sugar

- 25g stevia (I use the brand Pure Via)

- 1 tsp vanilla extract

- 225g grated courgette

- 100g dark chocolate chips (dairy-free if necessary)

Method:

1) Preheat the oven to 180C fan. Grease a 2lb (8 x 4 inches) loaf tin with spray oil and set aside.

2) In a medium bowl mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and sea salt until combined evenly.

3) In a large bowl whisk the two eggs. Then add the yoghurt, oil, vanilla extract and brown sugar and stir until combined. Don't worry if you have a few lumps of sugar.

4) Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, folding the two mixtures together trying to keep as much air in the batter as possible. Don't overmix it! It should be fairly thick and sticky.

5) Stir in the grated courgette and 75g of the chocolate chips, leaving the rest for topping.

6) Pour the batter into the loaf tin and top with the remaining chocolate chips. Bake for 40-50 minutes (mine took 45 minutes but it will depend on your oven), or until a toothpick comes out clean (it may have melted chocolate on it which is fine but you don't want any raw batter).

7) Once cooked, remove from the oven and place the tin on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the cake and carefully remove from the tin using a thin spatula. Let the cake cool on a wire rack until warm. Then slice and ENJOY!!

Keep the cake wrapped in cling film or in a cake tin for up to 4 days. You can also freeze it for up to 1 month. Freeze slices once completely cooled.

Please tag me in your recreations over on Instagram (@the__healthy__blonde) because I absolutely love seeing them!