Description
Did you know that German Chocolate Cake isn't German? It was named after American baker Samuel German, who created Baker's German Sweet Chocolate and the Baker's Chocolate Company in 1852. In 1957, Lucy Clay then submitted a cake recipe in the Dallas Morning News, titled "German's Chocolate Cake". The apostrophe was eventually dropped, and German Chocolate Cake was born.
A traditional German chocolate cake is a chocolate cake with a chocolate frosting, and a filling of coconut and pecans. While delicious, it is filled with not so healthful ingredients, such as white and brown sugar, butter and oil, refined flour, and sweetened coconut.
On the other hand, this cake here is gluten free, vegan, and sugar free. There's no refined flour, added fats, or added sugars.
Instead, it gets plenty of healthy fats from almond flour and chopped pecans. It gets whole food carbohydrates from oat flour without the need for white flour, and the sugar free syrup provides sweetness for significantly fewer calories, without any added sugar.
This healthy, whole foods cake uses no butter, eggs, or milk, making it vegan, while still being creamy, moist, and delicious. No one would know that you're serving them a healthy vegan and gluten free cake full of whole food ingredients instead of refined junk.
A traditional German chocolate cake is a chocolate cake with a chocolate frosting, and a filling of coconut and pecans. While delicious, it is filled with not so healthful ingredients, such as white and brown sugar, butter and oil, refined flour, and sweetened coconut.
On the other hand, this cake here is gluten free, vegan, and sugar free. There's no refined flour, added fats, or added sugars.
Instead, it gets plenty of healthy fats from almond flour and chopped pecans. It gets whole food carbohydrates from oat flour without the need for white flour, and the sugar free syrup provides sweetness for significantly fewer calories, without any added sugar.
This healthy, whole foods cake uses no butter, eggs, or milk, making it vegan, while still being creamy, moist, and delicious. No one would know that you're serving them a healthy vegan and gluten free cake full of whole food ingredients instead of refined junk.
Time
Prep Time:
20 minutes
Rest Time:
1 hour
Cook Time:
40 minutes
Total Time:
2 hours
Cost
Total Cost:
Cost per Serving:
$0.73
Ingredients
Serving(s)
Dry
- 3 cup Oat flour
- 1 cup Almond flour
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp Cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1/4 tsp Salt
Wet
- 1 1/2 cup Unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup Sugar free syrup
- 1 cup Unsweetened almond milk
- 1 1/2 tbsp Apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 tbsp Vanilla extract
Frosting
- 2 tbsp Almond butter
- 5 tbsp Cocoa powder
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup Sugar free syrup
Filling
- 1 cup, chopped Pecans
- 1/2 cup Unsweetened coconut flakes
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup Sugar free syrup
Instructions
Cook Mode Off: Prevents screen dimming
- Cake
Preheat your oven to 350F. Line 2 9" cake pans with parchment paper, and lightly grease them with oil. - Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl - oat flour, almond flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients - applesauce, sugar free syrup, almond milk, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla extract.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet, and mix until just fully combined with a silicone spatula.
- Evenly divide the cake batter across the 2 pans, about 720 g or 3 cups into each pan.
- Bake the cakes at 350F for about 40 minutes. The cakes should be slightly firm in the center, where a toothpick to the middle comes out nearly clean, and the internal temperature is around 200F. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Allow them to cool completely, at least 1 hour in the fridge.
- Frosting
Add almond butter, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and sugar free syrup to a medium bowl. Mix until fully combined with a silicone spatula. Set your frosting aside.
- Filling
Add chopped pecans and coconut flakes to a dry pan over medium heat. Toast for about 3 minutes, or until fragrant and lightly browned.
- Combine the toasted pecans and coconut flakes with vanilla extract and sugar free syrup in a medium bowl. Set the filling aside.
- Assemble
Place your first cake layer upside down on the plate, so the flatter side faces up.
- Spread about 2/3 of your filling mixture (~230 g or 1 cup) onto the bottom (now top) of the first layer.
- Add the second layer on top, with the "bottom" (flat side) facing up.
- Carefully frost the top and sides of the cake. Add your remaining filling mixture (~115 g or 1/2 cup) on top of the frosting on top of the cake. Optionally garnish with more coconut flakes.
Notes
- I only baked a half batch to test the recipe, which is why the photos in the assembly of the cake are of half a cake.
- Pecans are traditional in German Chocolate Cake, but almost nothing about this cake is traditional. So go for walnuts or something else if that's all you have.
- I'm using sugar free syrup to make this cake sugar-free, but you can also use honey, maple syrup, or agave.
Note that since this cake contains a significant amount of sweetener, using honey, maple syrup, or agave will add about 100 calories and 30 g of added sugar per slice. - Please note though, that while this cake contains healthy ingredients, it is not a low calorie dessert. Each of the 16 slices contains roughly 250 calories. For reference, that's less about 60% lower in calories per slice as compared to a traditional German Chocolate Cake.
While the calories are much lower, this is still relatively high-calorie since the slices are small. The difference here is that the calories come from much better sources.
Instead of being filled with saturated fat, empty starch, and added sugar, my cake here has more fiber, protein, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants without the refined sugar, flour, or butter. Something can be healthy and high calorie (this cake), or unhealthy and low calorie (ex: jelly beans).
So while you should enjoy this cake, please consume it in moderation, since it is still quite rich in fat, total sugar, and calories, especially if you opt for honey (or maple syrup or agave) in place of the sugar free syrup.
| Nutrient | Sugar Free Syrup |
Honey | Maple Syrup |
Agave | Traditional |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calories | 247 | 355 | 331 | 351 | 599 |
| Protein | 7.0 g | 6.9 g | 6.7 g | 6.8 g | 6.7 g |
| Fat | 15.2 g | 15.2 g | 15.2 g | 15.4 g | 29.2 g |
| Net Carbs | 16.6 g | 50.6 g | 42.9 g | 46.5 g | 78.0 g |
| Fiber | 7.2 g | 7.0 g | 6.9 g | 7.0 g | 4.9 g |
| Added Sugar | 0.0 g | 34.0 g | 26.0 g | 27.2 g | 58.1 g |
Nutrition Facts
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Servings: 16
Serving Size: 1 slice (~110 g)
Calories: 247
------------------------------------------
Total Fat: 15.2g (20%
20 % of Daily Value (78 g)
)
Saturated Fat: 3.9g (20%
20 % of Daily Value (20 g)
)
Polyunsaturated Fat: 3.3g
Monounsaturated Fat: 7.0g
Sodium: 317mg (14%
14 % of Daily Value (2300 mg)
)
Total Carbohydrate: 27.8g (10%
10 % of Daily Value (275 g)
)
Fiber: 7.2g (26%
26 % of Daily Value (28 g)
)
Net Carbs: 16.6g
Total Sugar: 4.0g
Sugar Alcohol: 4.0g
Protein: 7.0g (14%
14 % of Daily Value (50 g)
)
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Vitamin B12: 0.0mcg (0%
0 % of Daily Value (2.4 mcg)
)
Vitamin D: 0.1mcg (0%
0 % of Daily Value (20 mcg)
)
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Calcium: 115mg (9%
9 % of Daily Value (1300 mg)
)
Iron: 2.65mg (15%
15 % of Daily Value (18 mg)
)
Magnesium: 119mg (28%
28 % of Daily Value (420 mg)
)
Potassium: 415mg (9%
9 % of Daily Value (4700 mg)
)
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24.8
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6.9
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8.4
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Sources of Inspiration
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