The Most Wonderful Christmas Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake

Wiley’s Gluten-Free, Vegan Chocolate Cake for Mr. Cooper

From the story Wiley's Surprise From Santa

by Lisa Nelms

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond meal

• 1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate pieces

• 1/4 cup chopped pecans, broken up by hand into small pieces (can be omitted)

• 3 tablespoons sugar

• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

• 3 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flakes

• 3 tablespoons craisins

• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

• 1/4 cup coconut butter, melted

Wet Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup zucchini, grated

• 1 mashed banana

• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. *Grease and flour one 5 1/2” cake pan.

3. Add all the dry ingredients into a bowl and mix to combine everything.

4. In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients together.

5. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and thoroughly mix them together.

6. Spread the batter into the cake pan and bake for 35 minutes.

7. Cool completely, ice and decorate with any kind of icing.

This week's class focused on the aspect of giving rather than receiving. It is important to take into account peoples tastes as well as their dietary restrictions. Wiley made this cake for Mr. Cooper who was not only vegan but could not eat gluten. Amazingly enough the cake is pretty tasty.

Most of my recipes are for small desserts, so SproutChefs can learn to follow simple recipes. The kitchen is as good as a classroom for learning to read and follow directions. When they complete their cooking project correctly, the results can be so sweet. Chefs become their own evaluators when they taste their food. Keeping the portions small, keeps the potential for waste down.

*The small 5 1/2" cake pan can be purchased anywhere Wilton supplies can be found, like Walmart.