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Chocolate Lava Loaf With Strawberry
[Vegan, Gluten-Free]

NT By: Natalie Thomas

Author Bio

My name is Natalie Thomas, and I am the writer, photographer, and imagination behind FeastingonFruit.com.... Read More

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Chocolate Lava Loaf With Strawberry Love in Every Slice [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

Makes 1 8x4 inch loaf

I wanted this Chocolate Heart Loaf to be indulgent, but it turned out to be even more indulgent than I had intended. It turned out to be more indulgent than should be allowed! What I was trying to make was a chocolate loaf with a strawberry heart in the middle.... Read More

Ingredients You Need for Chocolate Lava Loaf With Strawberry [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

12 large strawberries
3 ripe bananas
1/2 cup non-dairy milk
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I used gluten-free, but whole wheat works too)
1 tbsp baking powder
1/4 cup cacao powder (or cocoa powder)

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How to Prepare Chocolate Lava Loaf With Strawberry [Vegan, Gluten-Free]

For the Strawberry Heart:

De-stem and slice the strawberries into heart-shaped slices. I got about 3 usable slices per berry, and the 2 rounded outside pieces to eat (or save for smoothies).
Stack the berry slices into multiple stacks as tall as possible. Insert a toothpick into each stack to hold it together. I got about 3-4 stacks. The taller they are the easier it will be to insert them into the cake. It’s a balancing game
Freeze the berry stacks overnight.

For the Chocolate Banana Batter:

The next day, start by preheating the oven to 350F.
Blend the bananas, coconut sugar, non-dairy milk, and maple syrup in a blender.
Combine the flour, baking powder, and cacao powder in a bowl. Stir to combine.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix.
Remove the strawberry stacks from the freezer. Allow them to defrost just long enough to be able to remove the toothpicks.
Pour 1/3 of the batter into a 8×4″ loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
Insert the rows of strawberries point down into the center of the pan. Push them down until they are almost touching the bottom of the pan.
Cover the strawberries with the remaining batter. It’s okay if a few are still peeking through.
Bake for 40-45 minutes at 350 until the center is no longer squishy.
Let it cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing and indulging. Or refrigerate before slicing for a firmer texture.

Notes

A less gooey alternative -- If you don’t want a gooey chocolate lava-loaf (for someone bizarre reason that I can’t understand), then chill the whole thing before slicing it. It will still be fudgey, but a little less messy.