Naturally Sweetened Gluten-free Chocolate Cake

Simply Divine Eating

½ c. coconut oil, ghee, pasture-raised butter, or pasture-raised lard
18 medjool dates, pitted and soaked in hot water 15 min.
2 Tbl real maple syrup
2 eggs
½ c. cocoa
2 c. oat flour
1 c. sour milk (or add 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar to regular milk or coconut milk)
2 tsp baking soda
1 c. warm water
2 tsp vanilla

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375’.
Measure lard, butter, ghee or coconut oil into large bowl, set aside.
Drain dates and squeeze water from them. Combine dates, syrup and eggs in blender and blend till very smooth.
Add date mixture to lard or butter and mix well.
In separate bowl measure flour and cocoa and set aside.
Measure sour milk and set aside.
Alternately add the flour mixture and the milk to the date mixture. Add ¼ c.- ⅓ c. of the flour to dates and mix well, then add ¼ c. to ⅓ c. of milk to date mixture and mix well. Keep alternating until both milk and flour are incorporated.
Measure baking soda into 1 c. warm water and stir well. Add soda water to cake and beat to combine. Add vanilla to batter and beat.
Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan and pour batter into pan. Bake at 375’ for 30 min or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. This makes a yummy dense cake that disappeared even without being frosted. 

Add Angie’s Chocolate Frosting recipe and wow them!

6 T coconut oil, butter, or ghee (I use coconut oil)
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 cup raw honey
1/4 cup nut butter, sunflower seed butter, or tahini
Pinch pink salt
2 t vanilla
½ cup winter squash puree (butternut, pumpkin, etc.)
Instructions:
On the stovetop on low heat, melt together the coconut oil, cocoa, honey, and nut butter.  Remove from heat and stir in the salt, vanilla, and squash puree. Or be lazy (scratch that…efficient) like me and just throw all the raw ingredients together in the food processor.  This recipe makes a fudgy frosting that will set up fairly solid, so I spread it immediately and then let it set.