The Chocolate-Free Chocolate and Raspberry Cake

This is a chocolate cake with absolutely NO chocolate! Trust me, it works...

This AIP-friendly dessert is free from sugar, gluten, eggs and dairy. It's rich, fudgy and indulgent, thanks to a combination of carob powder and naturally sweet, unexpected ingredients. Carob powder is a naturally sweet, caffeine-free powder made from the dried, roasted, and ground pulp of carob pods, often used as a cocoa powder substitute. It has a naturally sweet, mild, and earthy flavor, often described as having hints of caramel and nuts but without the bitterness of cocoa. 

The cake is somewhere between a brownie and a pudding with a dense, moist, melt-in-your-mouth texture, which pairs perfectly with coconut yogurt and fruit.

Here I paired with coconut yogurt, fresh raspberries, fresh blueberries and a homemade plum compote... yummy

What You’ll Need

Dry Ingredients:

• 150g cassava flour (for that gluten-free, AIP-approved structure)

• 100g coconut flour

• 70g carob powder (for that “chocolatey” depth)

• A pinch of salt

• A pinch of bicarbonate of soda

Wet Ingredients:

• 60ml maple syrup

• 60ml neutral oil (olive oil or coconut work best)

• 2 small sweet potatoes (baked and mashed)

• 1 banana

• 2 tbsp apple sauce

• 10ml hot water

• 1 tin coconut milk

• A generous handful of raspberries

  
  

How to Make It

1. Preheat & Prep: Set your oven to 180°C (350°F).

2. Mix Dry: In a large bowl, whisk together the cassava flour, coconut flour, carob powder, salt, and bicarb.

3. Blend Wet: Blend the sweet potatoes and banana until smooth, then mix in the apple sauce, maple syrup, oil, and hot water. Stir in the coconut milk until everything is well combined.

4. Combine: Gradually add the wet mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring until you get a thick, smooth batter. Fold in the raspberries. (This will be much thicker than a traditional cake batter)

5. Bake: Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the top is firm and a fork comes out with just a few sticky crumbs.

6. Cool for 15 minutes (crucial!) then slice and enjoy!

The Verdict?

This cake is not your typical airy, fluffy sponge—it’s rich, dense, and incredibly satisfying. The carob gives it a deep, almost chocolate-like taste, while the sweet potato and banana make it naturally sweet and velvety. The raspberries add little bursts of tartness, balancing out the richness beautifully.

So, if you’re craving chocolate cake but need to keep things AIP-friendly, this one’s for you.