Chocolate Sweet-Potato Snack Cake

Here's a variation on the Chocolate Pumpkin Snack Cake in my book, Wildly Affordable Organic. This year-round version uses sweet potatoes instead of pumpkin. It's also cholesterol and dairy free because it uses ground flaxseed instead of eggs and coconut oil instead of butter. The result is light and tender, with a good cocoa flavor and just a faint hint of spiciness from the sweet potato.

Active time: 15 minutes. Total time: about an hour. Makes 8 servings.

2 tablespoons finely ground flaxseed 6 tablespoons water 1 cup white whole wheat flour (120 grams) 1/3 cup cocoa (30 grams) 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 cup coconut oil, room temperature shortening for pan or eight paper cupcake liners 1 cup sugar (200 grams) 2/3 cup mashed North Carolina sweet potatoes, pumpkin puree, or canned plain pumpkin (140 grams)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Make flaxseed eggs by mixing ground flaxseed with 6 tablespoons water in a microwave-safe container, then microwave on high for 40 seconds. Stir with mixture with a fork to get an eggy texture, then cool to room temperature.
2. Whisk dry ingredients in a small bowl to blend. Put coconut oil and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream together on medium speed for about 1 minute. Grease an 8 x 8-inch pan or put 8 paper liners in a muffin tin. Add flaxseed eggs to sugar mixture and beat on medium speed for about a minute. Mix in sweet potato and then mix in dry ingredients.
3. Spread batter in pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes (30 minutes for cupcakes), until a tester inserted into cake’s center comes out clean.
4. Let cool for at least 10 minutes. Store any extra covered at room temperature or wrap well and freeze.

Here's a picture of the pumpkin version, made in a pan instead of as cupcakes.

Comments

[nongshim]

this looks really good, but what are the conversions for butter and eggs? 2 eggs and 1/2 C butter?

[Linda Watson]

Yes, those are the right conversions, Nongshim. That's how I make the chocolate-pumpkin snack cake in WAO.