One cauliflower cake leads to another... or so has been the case in my kitchen these last few weeks. Sweet cauliflower treats have been a fascinating playground. It's always incredibly satisfying when a new ingredient works a treat in substituting for another (in this case the cashews in many of my raw cakes), and these cauli cakes have definitely been fun to play around with. Of all the flavors I tried, this chocolate cauliflower cake version is my favorite one to date. It's smooth, light, and with a nice deep chocolatey flavor -- just what the (nut-free & lightened up dessert) doctor ordered ;)
It was such a happy discovery for me to be able to make a nut-free raw-style cake using this chameleon of a veggie. After making the creamy cauliflower breakfast bowl, the next natural progression was cake... So I made the famous cranberry cauliflower cake that seemed to have taken off like a storm -- so many remakes of it, and so many flavor variations that people sent in and shared made me happy to know I wasn't the only crazy who would think it was a good idea to make a cauliflower cake :D
Seems like nut-free & veggie filled cakes are in demand, and I'm happy to supply :), especially when the solution is something as simple as a creamy white veggie.... Someone jokingly suggested I needed to stock up on the cauli -- already done... freezer is packed ;) ...Get ye ready!
The one draw back to the cauliflower in these freezer cakes is that the cake is a little "icy" and more ice cream-like than my usual creamy and smooth cashew cakes. So I tried to offset that by folding in extra pumpkin seeds into the original cranberry cake, which helped with the texture quite a bit. But with this chocolate one I wanted to see what happens with just the addition of cacao. The cake was a lot more smooth and velvety and I like smooth and velvety, don't you? :) No added seeds were therefore needed.
I also added in some of my favorite chocolate flavor enhancers... you know, things that take a chocolate cake and turn it into CHOCOLATE cake ;) My usual go-tos: espresso powder and blackstrap molasses... Highly recommend not skipping for the ultimate chocolatey experience. And I threw in some maca powder for good measure.
I shared this cake with some friends to see what they thought and they loved it so much it was all gone in a sitting. They were absolutely shocked the main ingredient was cauliflower and said all they detected was an amazing chocolate treat and nothing more. I call that a pass.
P.S. If you're getting groovy vibes from this cake, I blame it on all the hippy music I listened to during the making of ;)
P.P.S. There are some video tutorials for how to make these types of swirl patterns in the Unconventional Treats video pack for those who have it and want to give it a go. Otherwise freestyle it ;)
PrintChocolate Cauliflower Ice Cream Cake
A smooth, light vegan cake with a deep chocolatey flavor and unexpected (and undetectable) cauliflower base. This recipe is also gluten-free, nut-free, and paleo.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 6" cake
- Category: Cake
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
Crust:
- 1½ cups raw shelled pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
- 9 soft medjool dates, pitted
- 2 tbsp coconut oil, liquefied
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
Filling:
- 4½ cups cooked cauliflower florets (steam or boil beforehand, and completely cooled off)
- 9 tbsp coconut oil, liquefied
- 9 tbsp maple syrup
- 6 tbsp plant milk (best to avoid coconut milk)*
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp maca powder (optional)
- ¾ tsp salt
- 9 tbsp cocoa powder**
- 1 tbsp unsulphured blackstrap molasses
- ¾ tsp instant espresso powder
Optional Toppings:
- cacao nibs, chocolate chips, shaved chocolate, pepitas
Instructions
- Process all crust ingredients except maple syrup in a food processor into a sticky crumble. Add in the maple syrup and process briefly once again to mix it in. Transfer this mixture into a 6" springform pan and press into an even crust. Freeze while working on the next step.
- Blend all filling ingredients, except cacao, molasses, and espresso, into a smooth uniform mixture. Set aside about 4-5 tablespoon of this white mixture for swirls (optional)(I just pulled some out using my icing pen tool). Add cacao, molasses, and espresso and blend once again to combine. Pour the chocolate mixture into the pan over the crust. Swirl in the white filling into a pattern of your choice. Sprinkle with any decorative toppings.
- Freeze the cake for 6 hours or overnight to set. Enjoy! Keep leftovers frozen.
Notes
*I recommend using freshly made plant milk if possible (although commercial varieties can work well too, though go for ones with the least amount of additives for a recipe like this). Something like this homemade pumpkin seed milk can work well for a nut-free alternative. I usually personally use vanilla almond milk (not a nut-free alternative) when I make this cake. I recommend avoiding coconut milk as it sometimes conflicts with some of the other ingredients (due to a negative interaction) and can spoil the flavor of the cake.
**Best to use alkalized cocoa powder instead of raw cacao powder for this recipe.
***Cake in photos is a 4" mini cake (⅓ of this recipe)
Keywords: Chocolate Cauliflower Cake (Vegan, Gluten-Free, Paleo)
Tish says
Hello, can the whole cake be composed of the neutral white cauliflower mixture? Thanks.
Audrey says
Hi Tish, I'm not sure I understand the question. Do you mean just the cauliflower mash without any of the additional ingredients in the filling? If so, the cake will just taste like cauliflower and will not set into a firm state -- so I'd say that's not going to work so well :)
If you meant something else, happy to provide further feedback.
jw says
I d like to lower my oil intake! Is there another alternative for the coconut oil? Would applesauce or pumpkin purée work?
Audrey says
Hi JW, not in this recipe unfortunately. The oil is essential here to holding it all together. However I've got lots and lots of oil-free dessert recipes on the blog that might work better for you instead. You can find them on the recipes page by selecting the "oil-free" tab up at the top: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/all-recipes/
Toni says
So flipping good! I can't even believe it! This recipe is a keeper for sure. So fun
★★★★★
Audrey says
Thanks so much Toni. I'm glad this cake is getting some love :)
Iva says
Thank you so much for the awesome recipe!!!It tasted delicious and everybody else loved it,too.
I used sunflowerseeds instead of pumpkin seeds as I didn't have it at home.
I just had a problem to make the beautiful design on top of the cake. I wonder why it didn't work out. I will try it next time again.😊Iva
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Iva. Thank you so much for the lovely feedback. I'm so glad the cake went over well. As for the design, sometimes it takes just a bit of practice -- the good news is that you get to eat cake to practice, so it's not so bad... ;)
Joan Villarosa says
Hi Audrey,
This looks like an amazing cake. Are there any alternative oils to the filling, aside from coconut oil?
Thanks.
J
Audrey says
Hi Joan, the best substitute would be melted cocoa butter -- it would go great in this cake and make it have a richer chocolate taste.
Jacqui says
Made this for my dairy-free family and they loved it! Could not taste the cauliflower at all. I would recommend letting it thaw outside the freezer for some time but use your best judgment. Also, I used 3 1/3 cup of riced cauliflower which was perfect. Thanks so much for sharing!
★★★★★
Audrey says
Hi Jacqui, so glad to hear your family enjoyed it! :) Thanks for the lovely feedback and the riced cauliflower idea.
Cassie Thuvan Tran says
This looks splendid! Who knew that cauliflower would work in a no-bake cake?! I'll have to try my best NOT to eat the crust before spreading it onto the pan though. I am SUCH a sucker for dates pureed with nuts!
Audrey says
Is there anything cauliflower can't do!? :)
Alessandra says
What are the molasses for? Can it be optional?
Audrey says
Hi Alessandra. The molasses adds a deeper and richer flavor. I highly recommend adding it to get the best results flavor-wise, but at the same time the cake will work just fine without too and I've had readers share positive feedback on the cake w/o the molasses as well -- so your call :) If you give it a try, with or without the molasses, would love to hear how you go. Enjoy!
Dianshan Ee says
Hi, do you have a metric measurement for the cauliflowers? Or maybe you could share how you measured 4 1/2 cups of cauliflower - when it has already been steamed and packed while measuring? Or measured while raw - therefore not as packed?
Audrey says
Hi, sorry, I don't have the metric measurements. I steamed cauliflower florets first (as I was making multiple recipes with it at once), and then put them in a measuring cup to get the right amount. It wasn't super packed, I just put them in, pushed them down lightly with a spoon to see the measurement.
Jean says
This cake looks delicious! Can you provide : Calories, Fat, Carbs, Prorotein, Sugar & Sodium please.
Thank you .
Audrey says
Hi Jean, you can google that information by plugging the recipe into a free recipe calculator (there are lots out there -- I linked to one I think it's good on my FAQs page). I don't have these stats ready as I don't calculate them for myself.
Steven says
Is there a nutritional breakdown somewhere of this dessert? Thanks! Look forward to trying it!
Audrey says
Hi Steven. No, but you can google an online recipe calculator to plug in the ingredients to get the data you are looking for. Here's one I can recommend from Spark People. I get about 6 small servings out of this recipe (the size pictured).
Lorelei Amlin says
Thanks so much for responding. I used raw cacao powder that I buy online from nuts.com.
I haven’t given up. I’m going to try again following the recipe exactly except I will leave out the espresso powder.
Audrey says
Hmmm... Well my main concern is the raw cacao. Even though it's an ingredient I love working with, it seems like in some recipes it can create a reaction if combined with something else that's "reactive". Cacao is naturally very acidic. When it's processed it can go through a process that alkalizes it (and becomes cocoa powder, sold as Dutch processed or alkalized cocoa powder), and so when you use it in a recipe it no longer reacts. But if you use raw cacao powder in its acidic state and then add something equally reactive on the opposite spectrum (a basic substance) then a chemical reaction ensues and creates that unpalatable flavor... In my experience some brands / batches of raw cacao happen to be more reactive than others. But also it may be that it's reacting to something in that coffee substitute mix you mentioned. Would be curious to know what happens when you try it without -- will be staying tuned :)
Lorelei says
So i tried it again and left out the maca powder and the coffee substitute. Wonderful! Can't wait to share it with my gluten-free, diary-free friends. Thanks for your help. Interesting news on raw cacao. I'll have to watch for that in other recipes.
Audrey says
Oh, great -- I'm sooooo happy it worked out without the substitute! :)
Lorelei says
i tried this recipe and must have done something wrong. It looks beautiful and has a smooth velvety texture but there is a very sharp, unpleasant taste in the filling that makes it inedible. It tastes like something is rancid but I tasted all the ingredients separately and they seem fine. Such a shame. The only thing I can think of is that I did not use blackstrap molasses; I used unsulphured organic molasses and instead of espresso powder, i used an instant coffee substitute - a combination of roasted malt barley, roasted barley and roasted chicory. Any ideas what could have gone so wrong?
Audrey says
Hi Lorelei,
What a shame it didn't work out. Sorry about that. It is possible it may have been something in the coffee substitute mix, but the kind of taste change that you described definitely has something to do It has to be a reaction of some kind in the ingredients. Just wondering, did you use raw cacao powder or cocoa powder (alkalized / Duch processed)? That would help me answer the question better.
Jackie B says
Wow! Veggies on dessert?! It's like a 1-in-1 dish. Does it taste good? Can you tasted the cauliflower? It's intriguing and at the same time, exciting!
Audrey says
Of course it tastes good :D But you'll have to try it to believe it. And no, you can't taste the cauliflower at all. Flavor is masked quite well ;)
Evelyn says
It looks soooooo good!, I want to make it now!
Thank you for sharing :)
Audrey says
You're welcome :) Enjoy it!
Evelyn says
So, I made it and everyone loves it!!! No one believes the main ingredient was cauliflower!!!!
and besides, delicious.
I want to make it again, but I have a list of your recipes to make :)
★★★★★
Audrey says
Aw, so happy to hear :) Makes my day when people are positively surprised. So happy you enjoyed it!
Sarah says
Wonderful recipe
★★★★★
Audrey says
Thank you so much, Sarah! I loved reading your experience with it :) Thanks again <3
Rosie says
So excited to try this! What plant based milk do YOU use for this?
Audrey says
Hi Rosie,
I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk (I'm not nut-free) and it was delicious. If you're nut free, you can try rice milk, hemp, pumpkin seed milk, gf oat milk, etc. They'll all work. I explained in my response in the comments to Kyra why coconut milk isn't the best way to go, if you're curious :)
Enjoy it!
Rosie says
Thanks so much!
Sherry says
Helloo,, your recipe looks amazing. I cant wait to try this healthy cake... However I dont have mollases and neither can find this product in my country. Do you think I can substitute with something else?
Thankss ^^
Sherry
Audrey says
Hi Sherry,
Sorry for the delayed reply. You can definitely make this without the molasses. I add it more for flavor (it tastes kind of malty), but it's not an essential component. Just leave it out. You can add a bit more vanilla if you like. Enjoy it!
Shirley @ gluten free easily (gfe) says
Mr. GFE and I ate out last night and steamed cauliflower was part of both of our meals. We enjoyed our meals EXCEPT for the cauliflower, which had no flavor at all. I wish that I had asked for a doggie bag so I could have had a head start on making this amazing cake! I don't think there's any ingredient that you can't turn into dessert magic, Audrey!
Shirley
Audrey says
Oh, I know all about flavorless cauliflower -- I don't personally mind it. I'd eat it in any shape or form. But when I order it while eating out I sort of expect it to taste exceptionally interesting and when it's bland it's just disappointing. In a chocolate cake however is another story :)
Natalia says
Sounds amazing, again!
★★★★★
Audrey says
Natalia, this is the best version. The cacao makes it work so well.
Kyra @ Vie De La Vegan says
Cauliflower is working so well for you, I think you've convinced me to give this a go! I love this cake so much (and definitely feeling those hippy vibes, haha). Also, why do you suggest to avoid coconut milk in this recipe? Curious!
Audrey says
Hey Kyra, glad you're on board with the hippy vibes :D
I just found that sometimes coconut + cacao + a metal pan (especially one that may have a scratch in it) + hours of setting can equal a very odd reaction in the process that turns these delicious ingredients into something awful -- it just goes off. Since I don't know what kinds of pans people are using and so on, I just didn't want to risk anyone making this with high expectations and being disappointed...
Dr. Jennifer Weinberg MD MPH | Simple Pure Whole Wellness says
I love checking out all of your unique creations! What creativity and inspiration :) Thank you!
Audrey says
Thank you so much :) Glad these new ideas are inspiring others as much as they do for me!
Elisabetta@Però Sano says
Love your creations <3
Audrey says
Thank you Elisabetta! <3
Simone says
Just made this and was blown away!!
Cannot wait to serve it and then share the secret ingredient!! Cauliflower!!
Actually it is so exciting. I am vegan and make the compulsory pantry staple "cashew cheesecake", but I have a friend with a nut allergy so we haven't been able to share the love... until now that is!!
Thank you for sharing.
In gratitude,
xox
Audrey says
That's amazing, Simone! Thank you so much for sharing -- that's the best kind of feedback. So happy you liked it AND that you're nut-free friend can enjoy some too. That's part of what fuels my inspiration for these treats. I love my cashew cakes very much, but I also love knowing that everyone can have their cake and I know a lot of people are nut-sensitive. Happy to know this cake can remedy that problem :)
Gingi says
Holy smokes this looks amazing!!! Thanks for sharing!! <3 - http://www.domesticgeekgirl.com
Audrey says
Thank you Gingi! ❣️
Natalie | Feasting on Fruit says
Yes finally the chocolate cake that I've been curious about for a while now! This is quite a feat of cake making magic, especially without and nuts or seeds or anything in the filling :o I think the decreased iciness thanks to cacao is why I love adding some sort of powder to my smoothies too. Much creamier than just fruit alone. And I love all the extra goodies too--espresso, molasses, maca--I bet that blend would make for a killer smoothie <3 If this cake wants to groovy its way all the way to my freezer, then I'd be happy to have it :)
Audrey says
Oh yes, a smoothie version is in order -- so long as it can be groovy as well somehow ;)
Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says
OMg! So my brother ONLY will eat ice cream cake on his birthday, only! However I can't eat those lovely Carvel Cakes anymore for obvious reasons. BUT I could eat this one...just wonder if I could pass it off with my gluten-meat not vegan-junk eating brother ;) Hahahhaha!
Audrey says
Haha, with a sister like you I'm sure he's used to all kinds of *interesting* treats :)