Although some of you may feel as though pumpkin has no place in a dessert, just ask our American friends and they’ll tell you that the humble little orange vegetable has every damn right. You only have to visit the US during fall or winter where it’s all about pumpkin spiced EVERYTHING. And if you’re yet to jump on the bandwagon, may we suggest you start with this vegan chocolate mud cake by our foodie friend, @georgeats?
Pumpkin is a FODMAP-friendly option for both a sweetener and a binder. As Georgia explains, the latter is particularly important in vegan baking seeing as there are no eggs. The ganache is also pretty life changing. Keep on scrolling for the recipe!
For the vegan chocolate pumpkin mudcake:
1 cup pumpkin puree (125g)
3/4 cup plain coconut yoghurt
1/2 cup almond milk
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/3 cup vegan chocolate (recipe here)
1 cup fine brown rice flour (165g)
1 cup cocoa
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons freshly brewed espresso
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
For the psyllium husk egg
2 teaspoons psyllium husk
1 teaspoon tapioca flour
3-4 tablespoons boiling water
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
For the chocolate tahini ganache
Remaining pumpkin puree
1/2 cup vegan chocolate (you’ll have leftovers from earlier)
2 tablespoons cocoa
2 tablespoons tahini
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
2. Sift the cocoa, brown rice flour, baking powder and baking soda into a bowl. Follow this with the brown sugar. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the plant milk and vinegar, and allow to sit for 5 or so minutes, to form a buttermilk. Add in the coconut yoghurt and whisk to combine. Add in the pumpkin puree, and do the same.
4. In a small bowl, add the psyllium husk, tapioca flour and boiling water, and whisk to combine. Once it has combined, add the oil and continue to whisk until it is incorporated. Set aside.
5. If your buttermilk mixture is particularly cold, gently heat it over a small saucepan of water. You’ll be pouring raw chocolate into the mixture, so it might seize up if it’s particularly cold. You can always gently heat the mixture if this happens.
6. Whisk in the raw chocolate until the batter is uniform. Next, add the psyllium husk egg, and wisk vigorously until the batter is smooth.
7. Add the maple syrup and sea salt flakes, and whisk to combine.
8. Pour the mixture into a 23 x23cm tin, greased with olive oil. Cook for 30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
For the icing:
1. Combine all the ingredients for the icing mixture in a high powered blender with a small attachment. Alternatively, you can vigorously whisk by hand, but make sure the pumpkin puree is smooth.
2. Once pureed, allow the mixture to cool for a while, or place it in the fridge. Like buttercream, it becomes more solid when it’s cold. You can gently heat it, double boiler style, if it becomes too firm at any point.
3. Once it is cool and spreadable, lather it over the cake, with an optional sprinkle of sea salt, to serve.
