Those of you who already have Genevieve Ko’s popular new(ish) book, Better Baking: Wholesome Ingredients, Delicious Desserts, know what a gem it is. At the heart of her unconventional approach is swapping many standard baking ingredients with natural, better-for-you options. The results are still indulgent and delicious, but legitimately healthier, making you wonder if Ko is either crazy or a genius.
I vote genius.
Take, for example, the two-ingredient frosting that Genevieve spreads on her School-Party Sheet Cake (scroll down; the recipe is published right on Amazon!). Her rich and creamy frosting is made with chocolate and only one other healthy -- and totally unexpected -- ingredient and contains no added sugar. As in, NONE!
To squash my own skepticism -- and answer to your raised eyebrows -- I went ahead and tested this curious two-ingredient frosting. Read on to find out what it's made of and how it stood up to three tough critics.
Top: Photo by Romulo Yanes for from Better Baking: Wholesome Ingredients, Delicious Desserts
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Related: A complete guide to the best frosting recipes for all your cakes and cupcakes.
Healthy, two-ingredient frosting: What's in it?
Genevieve's creamy two-ingredient frosting is made with chocolate and sweet potatoes! You just melt finely chopped bittersweet or semisweet chocolate and mix into warmed sweet potato puree. Within seconds, a decadent chocolate frosting forms right before your eyes. Just be sure to use pure, canned sweet potato puree (freshly cooked sweet potato will affect the texture) and chocolate with a cacao content between 55 and 60%.Related: One bowl baking recipes to keep it easy. And delicious.
Does this healthy, two-ingredient chocolate frosting actually work?
Well, it’s definitely the quickest frosting recipe I've ever made, and quite probably the healthiest. I used 10 ounces of finely chopped bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao), but bittersweet and semisweet are often used interchangeably, so don't stress if you're not sure which one to buy. The frosting also had a beautiful, silky texture. So far, so good.Related: Healthy, low-sugar baby cookie recipes that you can feel good sharing with your baby or toddler.
But how does it taste?
On its own, the flavor of this frosting falls a little on the dark side, with some bitter notes -- which I love. But what about my girls? My 5-year-old said that it tasted like chocolate chips, and although she thought it was a little dark, too, she licked the entire spoon clean (with competition from her younger sister). So I think they approve. Then, when we used it to top cake, it hit the perfect sweet spot. The girls and I agreed that given the near-magical ease of making it, the creamy dark chocolate-y flavor, and, uh, the fact that it's made with SWEET POTATO, this frosting recipe is definitely a keeper. SO I was right, Ko is a genius.Related: Healthy baking substitutes, so that you can eat more of what you bake. (Right?)
