Grain Free Birthday Cake

a carefully decorated cake
Number of Servings: 
Makes one 8" three layer cake.

Ingredients

Cake

  • 14 cup coconut flour
  • 14 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 Tbsp instant espresso powder
  • 14 tsp baking soda
  • 14 tsp salt
  • 4 large eggs (at room temperature)
  • 14 cup coconut oil, melted
  • 14 cup honey
  • 2 Tbsp almond milk (plain or vanilla)
  • 1 12 Tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp lemon juice

Caramel Filling

  • 1 cup medjool dates, pitted and soaked in water for about 1 hour
  • 3 Tbsp raw agave nectar
  • 2 Tbsp cashew butter
  • 12 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil melted
  • 1 12 tsp vanilla extract

Sunbutter Frosting

  • 1 cup sunflower seed butter
  • 14 cup palm oil shortening
  • 14 cup coconut manna, melted
  • 12 tsp vanilla extract
  • 12 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp maple syrup

Directions

Cake

  1. Preheat oven to 350F
  2. Combine the coconut flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, salt and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
  3. In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, coconut oil, honey, almond milk, vanilla extract and lemon juice.
  4. Add the dry ingredient to the wet and mix to combine into a smooth batter.
  5. Fill each of three round cake pans half way up, distributing the batter equally among the pans.
  6. Place pans on a cookie sheet in the oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean.
  7. Allow to cool until ready to fill and layer. Once cool, invert cakes on a wire baking rack to release the pans.

Caramel Filling

  1. Place all ingredients into the bowl of your food processor and blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides.
  2. Using an offset spatula, spread filling to about 14” thickness onto the flat side of 2 cakes, leaving about 14” from the outer edge of cake all around. Stack one on top of the other, and top with the last cake.

Sunbutter Frosting

  1. Whip all ingredients in a mixing bowl with a hand blender until fluffy.
  2. Chill in refrigerator until ready to use.
  3. Whip again before frosting the cake.

Notes

  • I like to top my cake with raw unsweetened cacao nibs, you could also do toasted coconut flakes!

Contributor

Jesa Henneberry

Jesa Henneberry is a professional chef who specializes in the vegan/paleo diet as well as cooking for people with food allergies.

She’s also a nutrition counsellor who truly lives what she suggests to her many high-profile clients. She creates menus for major social events while producing and modifying food for clients who are focused on eating in a healthful but delicious and sophisticated manner.

An elite athlete and award-winning figure competitor, Jesa believes that eating right is only part of the picture. That every person who wants to live a healthy lifestyle needs to incorporate movement, exercise, and a positive attitude about a fulfilled mind and body.