Sunday, April 17, 2022

Chocolate Cherry Cake (Vegan & Gluten Free)

Makes One 9” Cake
Recipe from From My Bowl 
Husband-Tested in Alice’s Kitchen

Oh!!  This cake!!!  It was beautiful and so delicious that everyone had a second piece!!  It looks quite fancy, but it was very easy to make.  You can make it a layer cake by doubling the ingredients.  
My friend, Juliet, the birthday girl,
getting ready to make a wish.

Ingredients:
1¼ cup (133 g) quick-cooking oats, blended into a fine flour*
⅓ cup (27 g) cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon sea salt
2 flax “eggs” (2 tbsp ground flax + 5 Tablespoons water)
1 cup unsweetened soy milk*
½ cup (130g) unsalted almond butter
½ cup (75g) coconut sugar
1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
(I added 2 teaspoons of espresso powder to the dry ingredients as suggested by one of the reviewers.)
For the Cherry Jam:
2 cups of pitted cherries (fresh or frozen) (I used frozen.)
2 Tablespoon maple syrup or coconut sugar
⅛ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
1 Tablespoon filtered water
For Serving:
1 cup coconut whipped cream* (I whipped 1 cup of Silk Dairy Free Heavy Whipping Cream Alternative and then added ¼ cup powdered sugar + 1 teaspoon vanilla.) 
Chopped and/or shaved chocolate (optional)

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350F and lightly grease or spray a 9” cake pan with a neutral cooking oil.
Prepare the Wet Ingredients: Mix the ground flax together with filtered water to create a flax “egg” in a small bowl. Combine the soy milk and apple cider vinegar in the base of a medium bowl – the vinegar will curdle the milk to create a “buttermilk”. Let both mixtures sit for at least 5 minutes, then add the thickened flax egg to the larger bowl with the almond butter, coconut sugar, vanilla, and almond extracts. Whisk until well-combined.
Mix the Dry Ingredients together in a separate, larger bowl. Form a well in the center of the mixture, pour in the wet ingredients, and use a spatula to mix everything together until no clumps remain. Pour the cake batter into the cake pan and bake on the middle rack for 20-22 minutes. (If you are baking multiple cakes, bake for 23-25 minutes).
Once cooked, remove the cake from the oven and let sit in the pan for 5 minutes before loosening the edges with a butter knife and flipping onto a baking rack to let cool completely.
Make the Cherry Compote: in the meantime, add all of the ingredients of the cherry compote to a large, nonstick pan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Let the cherries cook down for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Set the compote aside and let cool completely.
Assemble the Cake: top the cake with a layer of coconut cream, then spoon the cherry compote (and extra liquid) on top. Garnish with chopped and shaved chocolate, if desired. Serve immediately – leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes: The recipe listed above makes one cake. If you would like to create a layered cake, double all of the ingredients (compote and cream included)
Nut Allergies: replace the almond butter with tahini or sunflower butter
Coconut Whipped Cream: If you don’t want to make it yourself you can replace it with store-bought coconut whipped topping or a vanilla frosting of your choice! You can also use a super-thick coconut yogurt for a completely sugar-free option.
Other Substitutions: Almond butter can be replaced with another nut or seed butter and coconut sugar can be replaced with brown sugar or another granulated sweetener. I do not recommend replacing the soy milk* as other plant milks do not create a good “buttermilk” due to lower protein content. This recipe has not been tested with any other flours.


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