Yes, you read the title right. I’m talking about a vegan*, gluten free cake that is so nutrient dense, it puts your toast to shame. In fact, this cake may be one of the healthier breakfast options out there. Hold on to your hats, follow me and keep reading.

What allows this chocolate cake to be breakfast-worthy?

Among the ingredients are almond meal, flax and chia seeds, which are high in fiber and contain protein, both good things. They also have essential fatty acids, which lower cholesterol, aid in weight loss, and support healthy digestion. Cacao, another key ingredient, is well known to be a rich source of antioxidant and magnesium. Audrey Hepburn herself admitted that her secret after eating breakfast was indulging in daily chocolate consumption. Safe to say that she would have probably loved this recipe. 
Coconut oil makes an appearance as well, which is connected with a healthy heart. And last but not least, the sugar content is low GI, meaning the sugar goes into your blood system more slowly and, therefore, is not stored as fat.

Chocolate sponge

Ingredients:

• 

1 cup almond meal
• 1/2 cup raw cacao powder
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup maple or brown rice syrup
• 5 eggs (alt. 5 tbps flax/chia seeds)
• 4 tbsp chia seeds, soaked in 1 cup of water for 15 mins
• 1 tsp bicarb soda

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Line a cake tin with baking paper, or use a spring-form mold.
3. Combine all ingredients except the chia seeds and eggs. Whisk the eggs separately in a small bowl, then add the eggs and whisk the mixture really well until you get a nice structure.
4. Add in the chia seeds until all is mixed together, leaving no clumps.
5. Place in the oven for 30-40 min depending on the heat of your oven. Check with a skewer if uncertain if the mixture is cooked all the way through to the middle.
6. Remove from oven and place on a cooking rack. Leave until completely cool.

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients:

• 1 can full-cream coconut cream
• 2 tbsp of maple syrup, honey, agave or rice malt syrup (whatever works well for you)
• 

1/2 cup raw cacao powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. In a small saucepan, heat the coconut milk and sweetener slowly and gently, stirring it every now and then – the longer you leave it, the thicker the consistency becomes. This can take up to 20-40 minutes. See notes for other suggestions.
2. Once the mixture is thick enough, add the cacao powder and vanilla extract and stir for another few minutes until everything is well combined, then remove the pan from heat. Place it in the fridge for 20 minutes or so to cool and thicken further.
3. When the ganache is cool, spread it on the top of the cacao sponge. You can decorate with berries, nuts, seeds or shredded coconut.

Notes:
The ganache can be time consuming, so I added chia seeds to the coconut milk to get a thickened consistency faster. There is also the added fiber benefit there.

Let us know how this turned out for you, and any tasty modifications you make!

*Vegan with some modifications, see instructions.