Chocolate Chia Cake with Protein Yoghurt Frosting
Oat flour chocolate chia cake with protein yoghurt frosting
This chocolate chia cake is a rich, dense chocolate cake made with oat flour, coconut sugar and chia seeds, then spread with a thick protein yoghurt frosting and topped with blueberry compote. It serves 8, bakes in about 35 minutes and makes a good weekend bake or make-ahead dessert.
Two tablespoons of Lifestyle Food Chia Seeds go into the batter, and Lifestyle Food Cacao Powder gives the frosting its deep chocolate colour. Serve it with a cold glass of milk.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1½ cups oat flour (or blend Lifestyle Food Gluten Free Rolled Oats until fine)
- ⅓ cup cocoa or cacao powder
- 2 tbsp Lifestyle Food Chia Seeds
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- Pinch of sea salt
- ⅓ cup coconut sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup oat milk
- ¼ cup Greek yoghurt
- ¼ cup Lifestyle Food Extra Virgin Olive Oil or melted coconut oil
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 60g dark chocolate, chopped (optional)
For the protein yoghurt frosting:
- 1 cup thick Greek yoghurt (strained for 1–2 hours if needed)
- 1 scoop (25–30g) vanilla protein powder
- 1–2 tbsp Lifestyle Food Cacao Powder
- 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Zest of ½ orange (optional)
For the blueberry compote:
- 1 cup frozen blueberries
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp lemon juice
To serve (optional):
- Fresh berries
- Dark chocolate shavings
- Cacao nibs
- Chopped hazelnuts or almonds
- A sprinkle of chia seeds
How to make chocolate chia cake
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line the base of an 18cm round cake tin.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the oat flour, cocoa, chia seeds, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and coconut sugar.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the oat milk, Greek yoghurt, oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup or honey and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Fold through the chopped dark chocolate, if using, then leave the batter to stand for 5 minutes so the chia seeds can thicken it slightly.
- Spoon the batter into the tin and smooth the top. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
- Meanwhile, make the compote. Simmer the blueberries, honey and lemon juice in a small pan over medium heat for 8–10 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick and jammy. Leave to cool.
- For the frosting, whisk together the Greek yoghurt, protein powder, cacao powder, maple syrup or honey, vanilla extract and orange zest (if using) until smooth and thick. Chill until needed.
- Spread the frosting over the cooled cake, spoon the blueberry compote on top and finish with any of the optional toppings.
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 35 minutes
Cooling time: 1 hour
Total time: 1 hour 55 minutes
Serving size: 8 slices
Chocolate chia cake FAQs
- Is this chocolate chia cake gluten-free?
It can be. Oats are naturally gluten-free but are often processed alongside wheat, so use certified gluten-free oat flour or blend gluten-free rolled oats yourself, and check that your baking powder is gluten-free.
- Can I make my own oat flour?
Yes. Blend about 1¾ cups rolled oats until fine and powdery, then measure out 1½ cups for the cake.
- Can I use cocoa powder instead of cacao powder?
Yes. They work the same way in this recipe, in both the cake and the frosting.
- Can I make it dairy-free?
Swap the Greek yoghurt in the cake and frosting for a thick plant-based yoghurt, use a plant-based protein powder, sweeten with maple syrup and check that your dark chocolate is dairy-free.
- How should I store chocolate chia cake?
Because of the yoghurt frosting, keep the frosted cake covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Unfrosted, the cake keeps in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days.
Stock up on Lifestyle Food Chia Seeds for cakes, smoothies and overnight oats.
