Sometimes you just want to relax and have some delicious cake

But you are worried that it will be too unhealthy.

With these 5 delicious and healthy gluten free and vegan cake recipes, you can indulge knowing all is good.

#1 Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

Dry:

• 2 cups (240 g) gluten free flour
• 1 1/3 cup (260 g) caster sugar
• 1/2 cup (60 g) cocoa powder
• pinch of salt
• 3/4 tsp xanthan gum
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda

Wet:

• 1 cup (240 mL) vegetable oil
• 2 cup (480 mL) non-dairy milk (coconut milk, rice milk or almond milk if not sensitive to nuts)

For vegan chocolate frosting:

• 1 cup (200 g) coconut cream, divided
• 7 oz (200 g) dark chocolate, chopped

Instructions:

For gluten free vegan chocolate sponge:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 355 ºF (180 ºC) and grease two 6 inch (15 cm) round cake tins with vegetable oil. You can also line the bottoms with greaseproof/baking paper.
2. Mix all dry ingredients together.
3. Mix the wet ingredients together, and add them to the dry ingredients. Stir well, until you get a smooth cake batter.
4. Divide the batter evenly between the two greased cake tins, smooth out the tops, and bake in the pre-heated oven at 355 ºF (180 ºC) for about 40  minutes or until the tops are springy/bouncy to the touch and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
5. Allow to cool.

For vegan chocolate frosting:

1. In a saucepan, heat 1/2 cup of the coconut cream until boiling hot.
2. Place the chopped dark chocolate in a heat-proof bowl, and pour over the boiling hot coconut cream. Allow to sit for 5 minutes, then stir it well until you get a glossy, dark, intense chocolate ganache. Allow to cool until only slightly warm.
3. In a separate bowl, place the other 1/2 cup of coconut cream. This should be at room temperature or only very slightly cold. Slowly (a tablespoon at a time), stir the chocolate ganache into the coconut cream. At the end, you should be left with a smooth, easily spreadable frosting ideal for decorating.
   (If you want a more intensely chocolatey frosting, decrease the amount of coconut cream.)

Assembly:

1. Layer the sponges together with the frosting
   NOTE: Be sure to work relatively quickly – use the frosting as soon as possible after preparing it, as it tends to firm up slightly on standing, which makes it difficult to spread.
2. Decorate with raspberries and chocolate shavings, or other decorations of choice.

#2 Purple Carrot Cake

Ingredients:

For the cake:

• 60 g (1/4 cup) coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
• 230 ml (1 cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon*
• 8 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon mixed spice (or sub a mixture of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves)
• Pinch of salt
• 100 g (3.5oz) purple carrots, grated (one medium-sized carrot)
• 30 g (1/4 cup) walnuts, roughly chopped
• 50 g (1/3 cup) raisins or sultanas (or sub finely chopped dried mango or papaya)
• 2 tablespoons desiccated coconut
• 150 g (1 1/4 cups) ground almonds 
• 150 g (1 1/4 cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
• 2 heaped teaspoons baking power (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
• 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

For the frosting:

• 400 g (14oz) tin of full-fat coconut milk
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions:

For the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
2. Place the coconut oil in a large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil)
3. Once melted, add the milk to the same bowl along with the lemon juice, maple syrup, vanilla, ginger, mixed spice, salt, grated carrot, walnuts, raisins, desiccated coconut and ground almonds
4. Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda
5. Mix well, adding a tiny splash more milk if it's looking too dry
6. Transfer mixture between two small greased baking tins lined with baking paper (I used two 7inch/18cm baking tins)
7. Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown and an inserted skewer comes out clean
8. Once out the oven, immediately remove cakes from baking tins and transfer onto a wire rack to cool

For the carrot crisps (optional):

1. Lay out the purple carrot slices on a baking tray and bake in oven for around 10 minutes until the edges have shrivelled up - be careful to make sure they don’t burn!

For the frosting:

1. You'll need to keep your tin of coconut milk in the fridge overnight for the rich creamy bit to separate from the watery bit at the bottom. Make sure it is full fat coconut milk, otherwise this separation won't happen and you won't be able to make this cream!
2. Open the tin upside down - the coconut cream will be at the bottom and you can just pour off the watery liquid
3. Place the thick, creamy part into a bowl
4. Add the lemon juice, maple syrup and vanilla extract
5. Use an electric whisk (or a manual one and a lot of elbow grease) to whip up the coconut cream until light and fluffy

To decorate:

1. Once the sponges have cooled completely, place one sponge on a large plate or cake stand, and cover with half of the frosting
2. Place other sponge on top and use remaining frosting to cover the top
3. Decorate with the purple carrot slices, if desired
4. Best when fresh, but keeps well covered in the fridge for up to a few days

#3 Apple Cake

Ingredients:

Dry

• 2 cups flour blend
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 4 tsp baking powder or 2 tsp of baking soda
• ¼ tsp sea salt

Wet

• 1 cups  dates
• 1 cups  plant milk (soy, rice or almond work great)
• 1/3 cups  coconut oil melted
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 4 apples 700g (2 thinly sliced, 2 grated)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 180°C (356 °F) fan bake, and grease the sides and base of a 24 cm cake tin with coconut oil.
2. Sift dry ingredients into a bowl.
3. Blend wet ingredients in a blender (minus the sliced apples), then pour onto the dry ingredients. Fold gently until just combined with some flour flecks still visible, then pour into the tin and smooth down gently until flat.
4. Arrange sliced apples in two opposite concentric circles. Dust with extra cinnamon, then place in the oven.
5. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top springs back when touched and a skewer in the center is dry. Test it at 40 minutes, then pop back for the extra 5 if needed. I used 45 minutes in my oven.
6. Remove and let cool for 10 minutes before removing onto a drying rack. You can slice the cake warm or leave to cool fully, either way it holds together really nicely. Serve with a drizzle of liquid sweetener and coconut yogurt.