Ka kā wā Signature Kūmara Cacao cake

Rich, moist, and deeply chocolatey, this wholesome cake has a delicious secret—Kūmara (sweet potato). It adds natural sweetness and creates an incredibly soft, fudgy crumb without overpowering the chocolate. Made with simple pantry ingredients and plenty of rich cacao, it's the kind of comforting bake you'll come back to again and again.

Recipe Details

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

55 Minutes

Total Time

1.5 Hours

Ingredients

220g kumara, steamed (split in two: half for the cake, half for the icing)
360ml almond milk or other plant milk
120ml smooth almond or hazelnut butter
200g coconut sugar (or sugar of choice)
180g plain flour (or gluten-free blend)
75g cacao powder (or measure with your heart)
1 tsp baking powder · half tsp baking soda · quarter tsp fine salt
Icing: 100g Ka kā wā 70%, chopped, plus the reserved kumara mash and 3 tbsp maple

Instructions

Steam the Kūmara until a knife slides through easily.
For the icing, chop the 70% finely and blend with the hot steamed Kūmara until glossy, then loosen with maple and a dash of dairy free milk to a spreadable icing.
Blend the remaining Kūmara mash with the almond milk and chopped cacao until smooth, then whisk in the nut butter and sugar.
Sift in flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Fold gently into the wet ingredients in 3 batches until just combined, do not overmix.
Pour into a lined round tin and bake at 180°C for 55 to 60 min, until a skewer comes out clean. Cool completely before icing.
Ice the cooled cake. The Kūmara does the work of both fat and sweetener in the crumb, and the 70% carries all the flavour in the icing.