The Best Chocolate Cake
So for those of you who don't know, I decided to resign from my full time job as Copywriter and Social Media Manager.
Why? Because I wanted a life that I was obsessed about, I wanted to give myself time to think, time to figure out what I wanted to do. So for my farewell at work, I decided I wanted to make something super duper delicious for my lovely friends and what better way to do this than with a double stacker chocolate cake!!
So let's get one thing straight, I haven't baked a cake in YEARS! I don't know why but it's just not the first thing I think to bake when I feel like baking. So I went on a hunt and found Half Baked Harvest. If you haven't visited this website before then please do yourselves a favor and go check it out! There are some incredible recipes on there for all occasions. ANYWAYS, so I found a recipe for Vegan Chocolate Cake which looked absolutely yummy! I knew I wasn't going to have time to trial the cake beforehand (which I always usually do before a big occasion for"in case") so I decided to stick quite closely to her recipe. I made a few adjustments to suit some of the ingredients I had at home, and also changed the middle section to a delicious creamy salted date filling because I had one-too-many medjool dates in my fridge.
At first I was extremely nervous to serve this cake because I didn't even know what it tasted like but honestly, IT WAS AMAZING!! All my colleagues loved it and whether you are vegan/gluten intolerant or whatever, this cake came through and suited everyone's taste buds.
Give it a try for a special occasion - I promise you that you and your friends will not be disappointed!
PS. I only managed to take one good snap of the centre of the cake because once the cake was cut, there was literally no time to photograph it! The entire thing was demolished within seconds haha
PPS. Thanks to the beautiful Karla Kelder for being my hand model.
Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Filling
Ingredients
Cake
3 cups gluten free flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp lemon juice (I substituted this for the Apple Cider Vinegar because that's what I had at home)
2 cups almond milk
2/3 cup melted coconut oil
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup coconut sugar
Salted Caramel Centre
12 medjool dates
4 Tbsp coconut oil
1/3 cup water
1 tsp salt
Ganache
350g chocolate (I used dark, dairy free chocolate)
1 cup canned full fat coconut milk
3 Tbsp honey
1 tsp salt
Garnish (optional)
Sea salt
Crushed almonds
Method
Cake & Ganache
Salted Caramel Centre
1. Add the medjool dates, coconut oil and salt into a blender/high speed processor.
2. Add a small amount of water to the mix - you don't want to add too much water in the beginning as it will become to runny.
3. Blend everything together and continue to add water until you reach your desired consistency.
4. If should look like a caramel sauce consistency.
Assemblage
1. Once your cake is cooled, the ganache is thick (make sure you leave it long enough so that it becomes a thick, spreadable consistency) and the salted caramel has been made it is time to assemble!
2. Place one cake on a plate/serving dish.
3. Add all of the salted caramel sauce on top and spread it evenly. Make sure you are not spreading it right to the end as it will then drip down once the other cake is on top.
4. Add the second cake on top, making sure it is secured properly.
5. Add the ganache to the centre of the cake and start to spread it around using a spatula. You will definitely have enough to cover the entire cake.
6. For a little extra, I sprinkled a little more salt and crushed almonds on top (just add your almonds to a high speed processor and blend until they have been crushed up finely).
7. I let mine sit in the fridge overnight.
8. VOILA & ENJOY!
Comments