Even better Paleo Chocolate Cherry Cake

Even better Paleo Chocolate Cherry Cake

 

So, I jumped the gun and got excited too soon. After making my original Paleo Chocolate Cherry cake, I found myself volunteering my cake making services to make a birthday cake for my friends next birthday only to realise a few hours later that his birthday was in 3 days time!

Straight away.. the pressure was on. While I was super happy with my original Chocolate Cherry Cake, immediately I started wondering whether its good enough to serve to a party full of non-paleo (and potentially not-healthy-at-all) people, some of whom I have never met in my life. I realised that I would need to get back in the kitchen. First of all to make sure that the recipe is replicable and also to test out my theory that loads of fresh cherries through the batter would give it something extra ordinary.

 

Behold........

The new and improved recipe!

 

I made this one as a single layer as it was simply to test the texture and taste of the cake. I also made it in a larger cake tin (this time springform) and basically doubled the ingredients.



Even better Paleo Chocolate Cherry Cake

Ingredients

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 cup coconut flour

3 tsp baking powder

4 tbs natvia

1/2 cup apple sauce

7 fresh medjool dates pitted

2.5 cups fresh cherries - halved and pitted

2 tbs black cherry jam (100% natural) - can also use raspberry or blueberry 100% natural jam.
2 tsp vanilla essence                                     

8 eggs

 

Preheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius
 

Combine cocoa, coconut flour, baking powder and natvia in a large bowl
 

Combine apple sauce, 1/2 cup cherries, dates, jam and vanilla in a food processor and process until smooth
 

Add processed mixture and whisked eggs to the dry mixture
 

Beat with cake beaters until smooth
 

Fold through the remaining cherry halves (2 cups)
 

Pour into a lightly oiled (with olive or coconut oil) cake pan - springform is easiest - and place in the oven for 45-50 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
 

For a double layered cake simply repeat the whole process with another lot of ingredients.
 

This cake is topped with a chocolate ganache that I made from 70% dark chocolate and coconut cream. I combined the two on the stove on low heat and then ran the mixture over the cake (I used more coconut cream than usual) rather than spreading as I normally would which allowed it to dry in a nice thin layer. I do think that when making a layered cake though, I will make a thicker ganache and spread a layer in the middle.
 

You could also spread some 100% natural black cherry jam between the layers to keep with the cherry theme! 

 

UPDATE!

See below the results of the birthday cake I made for my friend last night!

The best cake I have ever made :).. which was a relief because I was unable to taste it before I gave it out to people like I usually do! Extremely rich and chocolaty and sweet - super happy!