Chocolate Orange Cake

Jem Carducci -

This is my current go-to recipe for an indulgent treat. Using bananas as a base gives a moist almost brownie like chewiness.  Free from oil, refined sugar, and packed with nutrients, this takes only minutes to whip up leaving plenty of time for a frothy coffee and a chinwag! The icing can be made with either date sugar or lúcuma powder mixed with hot water. To learn more about the amazing lúcuma fruit, check out my Lúcuma Ice Cream recipe here.

To make this gluten free, substitute the whole wheat flour with a light alternative such as rice, potato, or oat.

Ingredients
For the sponge cake
2 oranges- juice and zest
4 overripe bananas
1-2cm ginger, grated (optional)
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup chickpea flour
2 tsp date sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp cocoa powder
3 heaped tbsp ground golden flax seed
1-2 tbsp plant based milk or water
cinnamon and nutmeg to taste
chocolate chips to taste

For the Icing/ Frosting (Optional)
1 tbsp cocoa powder
3 tbsp lúcuma powder or date sugar
~ 1/4 cup hot water (add gradually until the ingredients form a paste - this will thicken slightly once cooled)
Chocolate chips/ chunks to sprinkle on top (optional)

Method
Preheat the oven to 375F/ C
Mash the bananas in a large bowl.
Mix in the orange juice and zest, grated ginger, date sugar, plant mulk, and cocoa powder.
Add the cocoa powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg, stir until thoroughly mixed.
Add the ground flax and baking powder, then mix thoroughly.
Fold in the chickpea and wheat flours.
Add the chocolate chips to taste.

Pour the batter into a linked baking dish and bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes. The cake is cooked through when you can insert a toothpick and remove it without and mixture sticking on (make sure not to skewer a melted chocolate chip!)
Remove from the oven and leave to cool.
Whilst the cake is cooling, mix the lúcuma powder/ date sugar, and the cocoa powder with warm water in a bowl- the mixture should form a paste which will thicken slightly once cooled.
Turn the cake upside down then using a spoon, spread the frosting/icing mixture evenly along the top of the cake.
Sprinkle chocolate chips / chunks as desired and slice to serve!