Unconventional Sugars - The Chocolate Sweet Treat

Let me start with a confession, this blog is not a 'how to' guide because I suspect if you are reading it you already know the how and is up for something a bit 'out there' and if not, I am always up for questions.

So what you may be asking, is an unconventional sugar? In my world it's the

sugars in anything plant based whether it start life as fruit, veg, stem, leaf or root that has not been highly processed.

You see sweet has always been one of my default flavour palettes and because I don’t generally eat commercially processed foods the sugars I eat is down to me.

When friends come round I like to share tea and cakes but as we moved into late middle age so many of them were on some kind of medication and or diabetes related diet I decided I needed a sugar quest.

Out went cane and beet sugars and in came an exploration that continues from one fun meet up to another.

Chocolate cakes is a favorite of our little group so it was one of the first to get my radical make over. I won't recount the epic fails that dogged my trials until this recipe emerged.

Needless to say Yacon syrup on it's own was an expensive mistake; but it did teach me that you have to get to know your sugars - the ones right under your nose - and learn how they mingle best. On a note of caution. This is a little labour intensive as we do use some whole fruits.

I love medjoul dates. A couple on their own take me to my happy place. For this recipe however I soon learnt that three is really enough for our needs.

The other must have is white mulberry. I buy them in bulk from my favourite health food retailer so they were already to hand for my experiments.

Cacoa butter is not a sugar but my chocolate cakes would be lost without it. After much tasty experimenting I finally settled on about 2 oz roughly cut to 3 oz of mulberries and the three dates. I chuck everything in the blender mixing to a coarse paste.

That is when I add my yacon syrup. For chocolate cakes I use the syrup with the orange flavour note, as they are so very much in harmony in the final bake.

 This is the point where I turn my mixture out to the mixing bowl and revert to normal cake making. I cream the mixture with butter, dairy or coconut depending on the audience. I separate two large eggs and add the yoke. (I use ground flaxseed and nut milk beaten to a smooth paste for an egg free alternative, add half and reserve the rest)

I like to add the grated rind and juice from an orange, vanilla essence and a pinch of salt with 3 dessertspoons of cacoa powder

and a handful of raw cacoa nibs. The egg whites  whisked to a stiff peak is gently mixed in (or second half of flaxseed mix for the non dairy version)  followed by flour and baking soda and the mix looks similar to any sugar fat mix. 

Spooned into paper cases then baked in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes at 190 and we have a light delicious cake.

For the topping I use the juice of a large orange to which I add sorghum and yacon

syrups and raw cacoa powder. Keeping on a low heat I mix continually till it coats the back of a spoon.

I coat the cupcakes generously ending with a beautifully shiny and delicious chocolate temptation to rival any made with conventional cane and beet sugar.