Craving a rich, chocolatey cake but want to keep it healthy? This Dates Chocolate Cake in cooker is the perfect solution! Made without refined sugar or flour, and baked in a cooker, it’s a guilt-free dessert that’s as wholesome as it is delicious. Whether you’re avoiding processed ingredients or just looking for a new way to bake, this recipe will satisfy your sweet tooth without compromising on flavor.
Dates are nature’s candy, packed with natural sweetness and a host of nutrients. They are rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals, making them a great alternative to refined sugar. In this cake, dates not only add sweetness but also contribute to a moist and tender crumb.
Whole wheat flour is a healthier alternative to refined flour. It’s less processed, retains the wheat kernel’s nutrient-dense parts, and adds a slightly nutty flavor to the cake. The combination of whole wheat flour and dates creates a perfectly balanced cake that’s not too dense but still rich in flavor.
What you’ll love about this
- Healthy alternative
- No- oven
- No refined sugar
- No refined flour
- Rich and chocolatey
- Easy to make
INGREDIENTS USED IN DATES AND CHOCOLATE CAKE IN COOKER
DATES
Dates are a wonderful ingredient to use in baking, adding natural sweetness, moisture, and a unique flavor profile to various recipes like muffins, cookies, and cakes. Also they are packed with essential nutrients such as fiber, vitamins (including B vitamins), and minerals (such as potassium, magnesium, and copper). Adding dates to your cake not only enhances the nutritional profile but also contributes to the overall well-being of those enjoying the treat.
WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR
Wholewheat flour is heavier than the commonly used, all-purpose flour. This is why, all around the world, people widely use all-purpose flour to make baked goods. All-purpose flour being a lighter flour means that it gives fluffier desserts that are not heavy or dense. While using whole wheat flour, it becomes important to incorporate air into the other elements of the dessert. One definite way to do that is by making sure you sift your dry ingredients instead of just adding them in the bowl with the wet ingredients.
COCOA POWDER
Cocoa powder is a key ingredient providing a deep, rich chocolate flavor that defines this cake. It imparts the intense chocolatey taste without adding extra fat or moisture, making it ideal for balancing the sweetness. Cocoa powder contributes to the cake’s texture by interacting with the other dry ingredients. It helps absorb moisture, ensuring the cake has a tender crumb. Additionally, it can slightly thicken the batter, which aids in achieving a denser, fudgier texture that’s often desired in chocolate cakes. Since dates are naturally very sweet, cocoa powder helps to temper that sweetness. The bitterness of the cocoa balances the flavors, preventing the cake from becoming overly sweet and enhancing the overall taste experience.
OIL
Oil adds richness and tenderness to baked goods. It creates a tender crumb and a moist mouthfeel, contributing to the overall texture of the finished product. It also helps extend the shelf life of baked goods by retarding the staling process. Oil creates a barrier that slows down moisture loss, keeping the mango cake moist and fresh for a longer period. Any neutral, odour free oil works well for this dates and wholewheat cake recipe.
MILK
Milk is a liquid ingredient that adds moisture to baked goods. It contributes to the overall hydration of the dough or batter, keeping the final product moist and tender.I prefer using whole milk for this recipe but you can use any kind of milk as per your preference and nutritional needs. I have used Nestle toned milk for this recipe. Milk adds a creamy and slightly sweet flavor to baked goods. It enhances the overall taste profile and enriches the flavor of ingredients like flour, sugar, and fat.
LEAVENING AGENTS
Baking powder and baking soda are used in this cake recipe as raising agents. There are no other ingredients, as such, in this recipe that contributes to the rising of the cake and giving it a lighter crumb and texture. Hence, both of these leavening agents are added to the mango cake batter.
EQUIPMENT USED FOR MAKING DATES AND CHOCOLATE CAKE IN COOKER
This recipe doesn’t require a lot of equipment. Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons. are an integral part of any baker’s kitchen and it’s very important to measure ingredients with precision.
A few mixing bowls and a whisk is what you need to prepare the date and chocolate cake batter.
A spatula is my favourite kitchen equipment and always comes in handy at a lot of stages.
You would require a blender to blend soaked dates to make a paste. I have used nutri blender for this recipe.
A 6 inch round cake pan.
You’ll need a cooker in which cake will get baked.
OTHER TEA CAKE RECIPES ON THE BLOG
TIPS TO MAKE DATES AND CHOCOLATE CAKE IN COOKER
- Opt for soft, pitted dates like Medjool or Deglet Noor, which blend easily into a smooth paste.
- Don’t forget to soak the dates in milk to soften them before blending.
- Preheating the cooker is essential for even baking. Add salt to the bottom to distribute heat evenly, and preheat the cooker with the lid on (without the rubber and whistle) for about 10 minutes before placing the cake tin inside.
- Place a metal stand inside the cooker to elevate the cake tin above the layer of salt. This prevents direct contact with the hot base, ensuring the cake bakes evenly without burning the bottom.
- Grease the cake tin with oil and line the bottom with parchment paper to prevent sticking. This makes it easier to remove the cake after baking.
- Store the cake in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days or refrigerate up to a week.
- 18 de-seeded dates
- 1 + ½ cups milk
- ½ cup oil
- 1 cup wholewheat flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped
- Set a cooker on low-medium heat and spread a layer of salt at the bottom of the cooker. Place a small stand in the center and close the lid of the cooker. Let it preheat for about 10 mins.
- Now, heat ½ cup milk well and pour it over the pitted dates. Cover the bowl with a plate and set it aside for 10-15 mins. This will soften the dates and help in easy blending.
- Once the dates are softened, transfer it along with milk in a blender jar and blend until no lumps remain.
- Transfer the mixture back into a bowl. Add 1 cup milk and oil to it.
- Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda into the mixture and whisk well till no flour pockets remain and a smooth batter is formed.
- Pour this batter into a greased and lined 6 inch round pan. Arrange the chopped walnuts on top of the cake batter in an evenly fashion.
- Open the lid of the cooker and place the round pan carefully on the stand. Close the lid and bake the dates and walnut cake for 35-40 mins or till a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
If you like my dates and chocolate Cake in cooker recipe and happen to make them in your kitchen, do tag me on Instagram and share pictures with me using #Bakewithshivesh. Happy Baking!
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