Health coach, Nourish magazine coloumnist and Wholesome Cook blogger Martyna Angell describes this cake as an indulgent treat with a few healthy twists. It's free of refined sugars and has options included which will also make it gluten-free, dairy-free and lactose-free. It's from her book The Wholesome Cook, which focuses on recipes rich in wholefoods and free of refined sugar. In the season of over-indulgence, this might be just the treat we need...

If you're after a quiet indulgence or a Christmas cake with a healthy twist, this recipe combines a moist chocolate cake and an irresistibly good Rocher-like chocolate and hazelnut butter frosting. It's the perfect celebration cake and one to impress your dinner guests with. The frosting doubles as, you guessed it, Nutella!

Ingredients (serves 10-12)

Cake:
1 cup water
1⁄2 cup unrefined demerara sugar or granulated stevia
1⁄2 cup rice malt syrup or honey
120g butter, chopped, or 100g coconut oil
3 tablespoons raw cacao powder
3⁄4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
2 teaspoons vanilla powder or natural vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup wholemeal plain flour or teff flour
2 teaspoons baking powder

Rocher icing:
1⁄2 cup hazelnut butter
40g dark (70% cocoa) chocolate or dairy-free chocolate, melted
10 extra hazelnuts, chopped
1 ice cream waffle cone or gluten-free ice cream cone, crushed finely, or 2 tablespoons buckinis

Preparation
Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease and line a 22cm springform cake tin with baking paper.

Place water, sugar or stevia, rice malt syrup or honey, butter or coconut oil, cacao powder and bicarbonate of soda in a large saucepan over low heat. Heat, stirring, until butter melts. Increase heat to medium and bring to a simmer – the mixture will rise and double in size. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.

Once cooled, add vanilla and whisk in eggs. Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl and add to egg mixture, whisking until just combined. Pour batter into prepared tin and bake for 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from oven, place on a wire rack and allow to cool in the tin.

To prepare the icing, combine hazelnut butter with melted chocolate and half of the crushed waffle cone or buckinis. Mix well. Scoop the icing onto the cooled cake, spread gently over the top and top with hazelnuts and crushed waffle cone or buckinis before serving.

Store cake in the fridge, covered, for up to 7 days. You can freeze any remaining slices for up to 1 month.

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