HU VEGAN & PALEO CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE GANACHE FROSTING

Recipe by Bakerita

Paleo Hu Chocolate Cake with Vegan Hu Chocolate Ganache Frosting – a quick and easy cake recipe with a simple 2-ingredient frosting! This layer cake is gluten-free, paleo, dairy-free, and vegan, and it tastes as decadent as your favorite chocolate cake.

INGREDIENTS

CAKE

• 2¼ cups (220g) blanched almond flour
• 1¼ cups (183g) coconut sugar
• 1 cup (100g) cacao powder
• ⅔ cup (75g) tapioca flour
• 1½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ⅔ cup (5.3 ounces) non-dairy milk of choice, warmed
• ½ cup (122g) unsweetened applesauce
• ⅓ cup (67g) refined coconut oil, melted
• ⅓ cup (2 ounces) Hu Kitchen Chocolate Gems, melted
• ¼ cup (64g) creamy almond or cashew butter
• 2 large eggs, room temperature or 2 flax eggs (see Notes)
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla

FROSTING

• 12 ounces Hu Kitchen Chocolate, either Gems or chopped chocolate bars
• 1 cup full-fat coconut cream, chill and drain any coconut water from the can

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line two 8-inch cake pans or three 6-inch cake pans with parchment paper and then grease with coconut oil.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond flour, tapioca flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, coconut sugar, and cacao powder. Whisk all dry ingredients together.
3. In a separate mixing bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk the almond milk, applesauce, coconut oil, and melted chocolate. If the coconut oil or chocolate firms up at all, warm the mixture for about 20 seconds to re-liquify the mixture. Whisk in the nut butter, eggs, and vanilla.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until fully combined.
5. Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Bake for 18 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the cake, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the top springs back when pressed. Let cool completely before removing from the pan.

FROSTING:

1. Place the chocolate in a large mixing bowl.
2. Scoop the coconut cream (leaving any liquid behininto a liquid measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds, and then microwave in 10 second increments until the coconut cream has just started to bubble. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes.
3. Once the chocolate and cream have sat, stir together until it’s smooth and creamy.
4. If the chocolate gets grainy at all, warm up some more coconut cream (or you can just use a thicker nut milk – stir it in slowly to smooth the ganache back out.
5. Let it set at room temperature for a few hours, or place it in the fridge for about an hour to chill.
6. When ready to frost, use an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer to whip into a fluffy frosting.

TO ASSEMBLE:

1. If your cakes domed a lot, trim the tops to make them level. Place one cooled cake layer trimmed side up on a cake stand (or whatever you’d like to serve it on). Top with whipped ganache frosting.
2. Top with the other (or second layer of cake. Add more of the whipped ganache frosting. If you have three layers, place the third on top and again, top with the rest of the ganache frosting. Leave it as a “naked” cake as I did, or bring the frosting down the sides of the cake if you prefer. Garnish the top with Hu Kitchen Gems.
3. Store covered at room temperature for 2 days or covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

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