Chocolate Caramel Cake Bites

I've always loved caramel.

Twix bars, caramel apples, caramel dip, caramel sauce.  Pretty much everything containing caramel is guaranteed to be gobbled up in seconds.

Since I made my diet a bit healthier, my caramel consumption has reduced significantly.  There's still the occasional treat, of course, but caramel is far from a staple in my house.

That is, it wasn't until I stumbled into this recipe for Crazy Caramel Sauce.  It's from the blog The Fit Foodies, and guys, it really is crazy.  The recipe replaces butter with nut butter, sugar with maple syrup, and cream with milk for a resulting caramel that tastes, dare I say it, even better than an original caramel sauce!

Click that link and try it!

Anyway, after finally discovering a healthy caramel sauce (that's not made with dates!), I immediatly started brainstorming recipes to use it with.  I had some leftover Chocolate Avocado Frosting in the fridge and both recipes together spurred the creation of these bad boys:

Chocolate Caramel Cake Bites!  They taste even better than they sound.

Chocolate Caramel Cake Bites
Caramel (recipe slightly modified from this recipe):

• 1 tbsp peanut butter
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/3 cup milk

Cake:

• 1/2 cup oat flour
• 2 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla

Frosting:

• One batch Chocolate Avocado Frosting

To Make Caramel:

In a small saucepan (non-stick if possible), whisk together peanut butter and maple syrup until combined. Heat on high, stirring constantly, until mixture has thickened and reduced to about half it's original volume. Lower to low heat and add milk.  Stir constantly until mixture has thickened to a caramel like consistency. Let cool and then transfer to a small container.  Set aside for now.

To Make Cake:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease a loaf pan.  Mix together dry ingredients in a medium to large bowl.  Add milk and vanilla and mix until a smooth batter forms.  Pour into loaf pan and spread into an even layer.  Bake in preheated oven for 8-12 minutes, until firm and a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool.  Once cooled, spread the caramel you just made into a layer on top.  Spread the pre-made Chocolate Avocado Frosting on top of that.  Chill in fridge for at least an hour before slicing into small squares.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Date Caramel + Chocolate Caramel Cookies

Vanilla Spice Layer Cake

Fancy cakes are my favorite :)

They're pretty, and delicious, and people think you slaved away in your kitchen for hours making them, but, I'm gonna tell you a secret, you don't have to.

Layered cakes and cakes with multiple flavors are actually super easy.  Well, at least my recipes are.  I'm not one to get too complicated.  I just like making people think I worked really hard, when in reality, the recipe was a breeze.

This cake is like that.  Two layers of cinnamon spiced vanilla cake topped with creamy greek yogurt frosting and an onslaught of sprinkles, if you're in that type of mood.  I'm always in that type of mood.

Anyway, while this cake may seem difficult, it's totally the opposite.  The batter comes together quickly with the help of your food processor, and the frosting takes no more than 3 minutes to mix up.  After that all you gotta to is bake, assemble, and eat.  The eating part is extra easy.

Vanilla Spice Layer Cake
Cake:

• 2 cups spelt flour
• 1/4 cup ground flax
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 420 grams (about 4 cups) frozen cauliflower, thawed
• 1 1/3 cup milk
• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 2 tsp vanilla

Frosting:

• 2 cups plain (or vanilla) greek yogurt
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease two 8 in circle pans.  In a large bowl, mix together all dry ingredients.  In the bowl of a food processor, combine remaining cake ingredients in the bowl of a food processor.  Process until completely smooth with no cauliflower lumps.  Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until completely incorporated and a batter has formed. Fill prepared pans about 2/3 of the way full with batter.  If you have extra, make a few cupcakes.  Bake cakes for 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Let cool completely.  Meanwhile, combine all frosting ingredients in the bowl of a food processor (Just rinse well from last use).  Blend until all ingredients are incorporated.  Remove one cake from pan and place on a large plate.  Spread a thin layer of frosting on top.  Add other cake on top.  Use remaining frosting to frost on top and all around cake.  Store in fridge until serving time.  When ready to serve, slice into 8-10 slices and enjoy!

Chocolate Avocado Frosting

This the creamiest frosting I've ever tasted, healthy or otherwise.

When I was little, frosting was one of my favorite snacks (as disgusting as that sounds).  It started when I was a toddler and one of my favorite snacks was a bagel with vanilla frosting and sprinkles.  Soon that turned into chocolate frosting on graham crackers, and finally chocolate or vanilla frosting on a spoon.

Yumm...?

That kind of snack no longer sounds good to me at all.  The frosting from the can (which was the kind I loved) is full of chemicals and other gross stuff that I don't want entering my body.  With that being said, I still like frosting... as long as it's the healthy kind.

This Chocolate Avocado Frosting is my new favorite.

It's super creamy, super rich, and full of chocolate flavor.  It's also not super sweet, which is my pet peeve when it comes to frosting.

And did I mention you can make it in less than 5 minutes?  Yep, that's a plus too.  It's better than the canned stuff, and a whole lot healthier too.

Chocolate Avocado Frosting

• 1/2 cup mashed avocado (this was 1 small avocado for me)
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup honey (use agave for a vegan version)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup plain greek yogurt (a vegan version, such as So Delicious, will also work)
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips, melted

Add avocado to food processor and process until completely smooth with no clumps.  Add all remaining ingredients.  Process until a smooth and creamy texture is achieved.  Frosting should be thick enough that you can hold it on a knife upside down without it falling off and silky smooth.  Transfer into desired container and store in fridge until using time.  Use as you would normal frosting.  Recipe yields about 1 1/4 cups.

Don't you just want to dive head first into that bowl?

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Avocado Tomato Salad

The Blog's First Birthday! Let's Celebrate with Cake!

I can't believe it.  I've been doing this blogging thing for one whole year.

On this very day of 2012, I decided I wanted to start doing this.  I baked my first recipe from scratch, took pictures of it all on my own, and posted it onto the blog I had just created.  Let me just say, one of the best decisions of my life.

Over the past year, I feel I've grown so much in so many ways.  I think my writing is stronger, my photography is stronger (though these pictures aren't quite my best), I'm happier, and I'm much healthier.  And I can't forget the part about how baking/cooking has truly become a part of my life.

To celebrate this awesome day, I've tackled one of the creations that started my healthy baking journey:  A Chocolate Beet Layer Cake (I talked about it a bit here).

I tried this cake first in California and fell in love with it.  It's been my goal since then to recreate it, and I think I've finally done it.

I give you the richest, fudgiest, most delicious, healthy Chocolate Layer Cake you have ever had.

Chocolate Beet Layer Cake
(makes 1 2-layer 8" cake)

• 400g raw beets, peeled and cut into thin slices (I used a mandolin for this)
• 3/4 cup applesauce
• 1/3 cup date paste (detailed instructions on making this can be found here)
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 3/4 cup egg whites
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cup spelt flour (all purpose should also work)
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 3 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot
• 1/2 cup extra/special dark cocoa powder (I used this kind)
• 1 recipe of Chocolate Banana Frosting (when on the cake, the banana taste is not very prominent)

Preheat oven to 350F.  Combine beets, applesauce, date paste, buttermilk, egg whites and vanilla in the bowl of food processor.  Process until completely mixed and smooth.  In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients.  Add beet mixture to dry ingredients and mix until combined.  Pour batter equally between two 8" circle pans (you may have some extra batter, use it to make cupcakes!).  Bake for 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  Let cakes cool before removing from pan.  Place one cake on a large plate, and spread a thin layer of frosting on the top.  Top with the other cake and spread remaining frosting all around.  If desired, top with some mini chocolate chips like I did.  Store cake in fridge.  Recipe makes 8-12 slices.

I can't thank you guys (my readers) enough for everything you've done to keep this blog going.  Every time you tell me you liked a recipe, leave a sweet comment, or even as much as visit a page, it puts a smile on my face.

Thank you so much for everything!

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Sweet Potato Beet Cake

Chocolate Banana Cake

This cake is the product of brown bananas and not wanting to make banana bread.

I like to hoard bananas at my house.  I buy a big bunch and then won't let anyone eat a single one until they're also browned and yucky so I can make them into something delicious.

Usually I stick to banana bread, but the day I made this cake I was in the mood for something else.

So then I used chocolate and banana to make a really really good cake.  And then I made a frosting too, just because.

And then... I took a bite.  Woah.

Let me tell you, this is crazy good.  The cake turned out 100x better than I hoped, and the frosting just put things over the top.  Oh, how I wish I had a piece now.

There are some bananas browning on the counter now, though.  I think I know what I'll be making!

Chocolate Banana Cake
Cake:

• 3/4 cup spelt flour
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp ground flax
• 1 1/3 cup frozen cauliflower, thawed
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/2 banana
• 1/3 cup applesauce
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips or chopped normal chocolate chips

Frosting:

• 1 ripe banana
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt (Greek, coconut, etc) (use dairy free for vegan)
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp chocolate chips, melted

For Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease an 8x8 square pan
2. Mix together dry ingredients (flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and flax) in a large bowl.
3. Combine cauliflower, milk, banana, applesauce, maple syrup, and vanilla in the bowl of a food processor.  Blend until completely smooth.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry and mix until a smooth batter forms.  Mix in chocolate chips.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake for 30 minutes.

For Frosting:

1. Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor.  It's OK to use the same one as before without completely washing it.  Just rinse everything off and let it dry.
2. Blend until mixture is smooth.  It may look too thin, but it's will firm up when it chills.
3. Pour frosting over baked cake, and spread around evenly.  
4. Place in fridge for at least 2 hours, until frosting hardens.  When frosting is firm, cut into 16 squares, and serve.

What's your favorite thing to make with brown bananas?

How about...

Good O'l Banana Bread?  Or maybe some Chocolate Banana Cups?  Ooooh, what about frosting?  That's always good!

Chocolate Banana Cups

I really wanted to call these s'mores cups.  I mean, everyone loves s'mores and these have all the components of them... they're just a bit different.

Graham crackers turn into a crust made from cereal, chocolate turns into, well, a chocolate cake filling, and the marshmallow is replaced with a banana and yogurt mixture that I swear has the exact same texture as the filling of an oreo cookie.

So, you see, these are sort of like s'mores, but then again, sort of not.  I figured it was better not to give people any false beliefs, so I stuck with the name Chocolate Banana Cups.  It's a bit boring, I'll admit, but no one's going to deny that this recipe is, indeed, for Chocolate Banana Cups.

Ok, so that was sorta boring.  Sorry.

Let's get to the good stuff, shall we?  Like the banana frosting stuff on these cups.  I mentioned it earlier, but I'll say it again.  Same texture as an Oreo cookie filling.  It's incredible, really.  And very delicious.

So is the crust on these things.  It's made with my new favorite cereal, Kashi Crunch!, and has no added fat. Pretty cool, huh?  I'd say these little guys as a whole are pretty awesome.

They may not be s'mores, but they've definitely got a lot going for them.

Chocolate Banana Cups
Crust:

• 1 1/3 cup Kashi Crunch! cereal
• 2 tbsp plain yogurt

Cake:

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• pinch salt
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tbsp ground flax
• 1 tbsp maples syrup
• 1 tbsp turbinado sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup milk

Frosting:

• 1 large, ripe banana, mashed
• scant 1/2 cup plain or vanilla greek yogurt (just note that using vanilla will make frosting sweeter)

For Crust:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Place cereal in bowl of food processor and process until broken into small crumbs (this could get loud).  Add yogurt and process until fully incorporated.  Press a little bit of mixture into the bottom of the cups of greased muffin tins.  Set aside.

For Cake:

Place oats in food processor (you don't have to wash it from when you made crust), and process until ground into a flour (it's ok if some pieces are bigger than others).  Add remaining dry ingredients and process quickly to combine.  Add all remaining ingredients and process until a smooth batter forms.  Scoop a bit spoonful of batter on top of each prepared layer of crust.  Bake in preheated oven (it should be a t 350F) for  15 minutes.  Let cakes and crust cool at least 5 minutes before attempting to remove from pan.

For Frosting:

Rinse out the bowl of your food processor until no chocolate remains.  Place banana and yogurt (all ingredients for frosting) inside and process until a thick frosting like mixture forms.  It should look like an Oreo cookie's filling.  When cups have cooled, and have been removed from pan, spread frosting on top of each one.  Store in fridge.  Recipe yields 12 cups.

Now, time to healthify an Oreo cookie.  Don't you be thinking this is the last you'll see of that banana frosting!

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Dark Chocolate Brownies with Banana Frosting

Chocolate Banana Frosting

In my opinion, frosting is one of the hardest foods to lighten up.  Cake is easy, cookies are medium, and frosting is just plain hard.

I've attempted a healthy frosting many times, and I'll be the first to admit that many trials have ended up in the trash can.  But do not fear, there has been one success.

The Chocolate Banana Frosting I'm sharing today is by far the best one I've ever made.  It definitely made all the failed attempts worth it.

I put almost all the healthy dessert tricks to use for this one.  We've got banana to sweeten, tofu to add texture, and nut butter to add decadence without butter or shortening.  Oh yeah, and special dark cocoa powder for that rich chocolate flavor.

It's not your classic chocolate frosting, that's for sure.  But it is something that should become a classic at your house.  I'm telling you, you need to give it a try!

Chocolate Banana Frosting

• 240 g silken firm tofu
• 1/2 cup nut butter (peanut, almond, etc)
• 3 tbsp regular cocoa 
• 3 tbsp extra/special dark cocoa
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1 1/2 bananas

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy.  It will seem too thin, but that's ok.  Transfer frosting to a container and chill in fridge for at least 24 hours.  During this time, frosting will firm up.  It will also get firmer the longer it sits on whatever you frost with it.  Recipe yields roughly 2 cups.

One more thing...

I had to test this recipe out to see how it held up on a cake, so shortly after making it, I baked my very first leyer cake.  Oh, it was sooooooo delicious!  Here's a sneak peak:

But you're gonna have to wait about a month for that recipe (I know, I'm cruel), 'cause I'm saving it for a very special occasion!  Does anyone have any idea what it is?

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Chocolate Banana Pancake Squares

Dark Chocolate Brownies with Banana Frosting

Recently I made a very important discovery.  It has to do with chocolate.

Cocoa powder to be exact.  For as long as I can remember I've been buying normal cocoa powder. You know, the kind you see in stores that just says unsweetened.

But then, one day while browsing the grocery store, I saw special dark cocoa powder... and it was on sale.  Well, the chocoholic in me decided I needed it right then and there.  Nevermind that I'd never even seen it before.

I definitely can't say this about all of my food purchases, but this one was an excellent choice.  The extra dark cocoa powder is just plain better.  Not only do you need less to acheive the chocolate flavor you want, but the chocolate flavor you get is deeper and richer than that of normal cocoa.  It's just so good!

Ever since I got the special dark cocoa, I've been experimenting non-stop.  I absolutely can't wait to share all the wonderful desserts I've made with you.  First up, Dark Chocolate Brownies with Banana Frosting.

They're rich, fudgy, and delicious with a sweet frosting that pulls everything together perfectly.  That cocoa powder really is special.

Dark Chocolate Brownies with Banana Frosting

For Brownies:

• 1/4 cup extra dark cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup spelt flour
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• pinch salt
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp instant coffee granules
• 2 tbsp date paste (or more as needed)
• 2 tbsp mori-nu shelf stable silken tofu (about 100 grams)
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For Frosting:

• 1 large banana
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1/4 cup mori-nu shelf stable tofu
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tbsp nut butter (almond, peanut, sunflower, etc)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tbsp quick oats
• 20 grams chocoalte, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F.  Mix together all dry ingredients for brownies in a medium bowl.  In a small bowl, combine remaining brownie ingredients.  Use an immersion blender to blend until smooth.  Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix well until combined.  Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and bake for 13 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

While brownies are baking, combine all ingredients for frosting, except chocolate in a food processor.  Process until well incorporated.  Fold in chopped chocolate.  When brownies are ready, let them cool a couple minutes before cutting.  Frost brownies with frosting after cutting them.  Frosting will harden if allowed to chill in fridge for overnight.  Store brownies in fridge.

Perhaps you noticed the very dark brown, or almost black color of the brownies.  Don't worry, that's just the special dark cocoa powder doing it's job.  It makes whatever chocolate treat your making super dark.  In fact, while mixing the batter you may notice that it looks almost gray.  Like I said, don't worry.  The end result will be a dark, rich, and delicious brownie, not some science experiment gone wrong.

Enjoy!

Revisited Recipe of the Day:

Banana Split Bowl