Gluten-free chia marble cake

Gluten-free chia marble cake with almond flour, black chia, cocoa, cacao butter and a Medjool date – moist, nutty and with no refined sugar.

At a glance

• Serves 10
• Prep time: 20 min
• Cooking time: 55 min
• Total time: 75 min
• Calories: 245 kcal per serving
• Protein: 8 g
• Fat: 20 g
• Carbs: 5 g

Ingredients

• 1 Medjool date
• 3 organic eggs
• 150 ml unsweetened almond milk
• 250 g fine almond flour
• 50 g cacao butter
• 4 tbsp black chia seeds
• 120 ml water
• 1 sachet of cream of tartar baking powder
• 3 tbsp dark cocoa powder

Method

You’ll need: oven · chopping board · knife

1. Preheat the oven to 175 °C (155 °C fan) and prepare an ovenproof tin.
2. Stir the chia seeds with the water and leave to swell for 10 min. Melt the cacao butter and finely chop the Medjool date. Stir together the eggs, almond milk, chia gel, date and cacao butter, then fold in the almond flour and cream of tartar baking powder until you have a soft, even batter.
3. Stir the dark cocoa powder into part of the batter to make the dark part for the marbling.
4. Spoon the light and dark batter into the tin alternately and swirl loosely with a fork to create a marble pattern.
5. Bake the cake at 175 °C for 40–45 min, until the top is lightly browned and the cake looks set. Then leave it to rest briefly in the tin.
6. Let it cool a little before serving and cut into pieces.

Good to know

A cake like this feels pleasantly easy. Moist, lightly chocolatey and with a subtle, nutty depth. One of those cakes that quietly disappears.

Swaps

1 Medjool date → 80 g unsweetened apple purée (milder sweetness, moist crumb) 50 g cacao butter → 50 g ghee or butter (fuller flavour, good for baking, no seed oils) 4 tbsp black chia seeds → 4 tbsp ground linseed (more fibre, nuttier flavour) 3 tbsp dark cocoa → 3 tbsp carob powder (caffeine-free, naturally milder and slightly sweet)

Allergens

Contains almonds (tree nuts) and, depending on the product, may contain traces of other tree nuts; chia seeds should be used in an age-appropriate way for children, and during pregnancy the ingredients are generally unremarkable in normal kitchen amounts, as long as they agree with you. Contains: egg.

Frequently asked questions

What do black chia seeds contain nutritionally?

Black chia seeds provide fibre, alpha-linolenic acid, some plant protein and minerals such as calcium, magnesium and manganese. The nutritional differences from white chia seeds are usually small.

How does almond flour differ from regular flour?

Almond flour naturally contains more fat, fibre and vitamin E than many white cereal flours. It also contains minerals such as magnesium and some calcium.

What does dark cocoa bring to the cake?

Dark cocoa provides magnesium, iron, copper and various polyphenols, among others. How much of that ends up in the cake also depends on processing and baking.

Is cocoa butter just fat?

Cocoa butter consists mostly of fat, mainly saturated and monounsaturated fats. It contains micronutrients, but not in large amounts.

Does a Medjool date agree with everyone, or does it vary from person to person?

A Medjool date provides natural sugars and a little fibre. People with a sensitive stomach sometimes react to dried fruit, because it's more concentrated and agrees with people differently.

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