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Most people that are health conscious usually like to stay on track with their dietary intake, barring a few instances where they indulge and let go. Cake being considered a part of most cheat meals, or even dessert for that matter, is always looked upon as an item of luxury during times when the spotlight on eating right is pretty intense. Hence, drawing a balance between the two is necessary sometimes, to have clean ingredients become a part of something delicious and decadent. We bring you three cake recipes, that are healthy-ish and don’t induce half as much guilt, as you would otherwise find yourself feeling on digging into that extra piece of cake.
Vegan Banana Bread
Image Credits: Divas Can Cook
Perhaps one of the most popular choices of cake that is also a crowd favourite, banana bread has a hundred different variations – with or without chocolate chips, a walnut variation and even one enriched with nuts and dry fruits, a la plum cake. This vegan banana bread recipe, uses whole wheat flour and is completely vegan, making it diet-friendly for all kinds of cake eaters.
Ingredients
- 4 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/3 cup plant-based milk (almond milk or soy milk)
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- ½ cup maple syrup or agave nectar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
Method
- Preheat your oven to 175°C) and grease a loaf pan with butter. Line it with parchment paper as you combine the mashed bananas, plant-based milk, melted coconut oil, maple syrup or agave nectar, and vanilla extract in a bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined. Be careful not to overmix. Fold the walnuts into the batter and pour into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove the banana bread from the oven and let it cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before unmoulding and placing on a wire rack.
- Slice and serve warm.
Dairy-Free Chocolate Cake
Image Credits: Tesco Real Food
This decadently dark and rich chocolate cake recipe does not use any dairy and yet manages to be moist and delicious, feeling pretty indulgent like a chocolate cake should. The recipe is also versatile enough for you to make swaps wherever necessary, according to the mood you’re feeling for a chocolate cake on any particular day. Bring it to a birthday party and we bet no one would be able to tell the difference!
Ingredients [For Cake]
- 1 + ¾ cups all-purpose flour
- 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
- 1.5 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 + ¾ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 cup hot water
Ingredients [For Frosting]
- ½ cup dairy-free margarine/vegan butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 2-3 tablespoons almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Method
- Preheat your oven to 175°C and grease two 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper as you whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cocoa powder, and granulated sugar in a large bowl.
- Add the vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and almond milk to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Add the hot water gradually to the batter while stirring. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.
- Bake in the preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Beat the vegan butter in a mixing bowl until creamy and add the powdered sugar and cocoa powder, mixing well after each addition. Add the almond milk and vanilla extract to the frosting and continue to beat until smooth and creamy. Adjust the consistency by adding more milk if needed.
- Once the cakes have cooled completely, spread a layer of frosting on top of one cake layer. Place the second cake layer on top and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.
- Decorate the cake as desired and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the frosting to set.
Also Read:
Dairy-Free New York Cheesecake
Image Credits: Comfy Belly
How can a recipe list of healthy cakes be complete without a cheesecake on the list? Gooey, creamy and rich, this delicious cheesecake retains the mellow tang as you would find in a regular cheesecake as well as has a deliciously buttery crust, making it the cheesecake you would want to include as part of your daily calorific intake, as opposed to it being a once-in-a-week feature on your plate.
Ingredients [For Crust]
- 1.5 cups almond flour
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup or agave nectar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Ingredients [For Cheesecake]
- 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
- 300 grams cream cheese
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- Zest of 1 lemon
Method
- Preheat your oven to 175°C while combine the almond flour, melted coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract in a bowl.
- Once the mixture resembles wet sand, press the crust mixture into the bottom of a greased 9-inch springform pan. Make sure it's evenly distributed and press it firmly to form the crust.
- Bake the crust in the preheated oven for about 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden. Remove from the oven and let it cool.
- In a separate mixing bowl, beat the Greek yogurt, cream cheese, maple syrup, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest until smooth and creamy. Pour the filling mixture over the cooled crust and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Place the cheesecake in the refrigerator and chill for at least 4 hours, or until it's set and firm, before slicing and serving.
