Chocolate Cherry Cake
GLUTEN FREE, GRAIN FREE, DAIRY FREE, SOY FREE, PALEO
Did you know that some people don’t like cake? I know, I know, you might need a moment to take that in. They seem to be coming out of the woodwork in my life and I’m finding it utterly baffling!
I mean, it’s CAKE! How does anyone not like CAKE! I wonder if they accidently ate some stale cake once and then just swore off cake all together. Or maybe they ate too much cake one day and the thought of cake still makes them queasy.
If I try really hard I can imagine maybe not liking a certain type of cake, but just flat out ALL cake?! No, no I don’t believe you. What? No.
My brother claims to be one of those perplexing anomalies suffering from cake apathy. But up until recently I didn’t know that my dad was one of those people too!! How this went unknown my whole childhood is rather mysterious to me… but I digress.
This year I was asked to make THE cake for my dad’s birthday. The man who dislikes cake, and my cake hating brother would be lurking in the shadows ready to spurn my cake as well. Oh the PRESSURE!
I actually lay awake at night wondering what I would make to woo the cake haters …lemon and blueberry sponge? Chocolate chestnut torte? Pear teacake with praline crumble? Vanilla and raspberry swirl cake? As you can see it provided me with endless cake-spiration!
Well I ummed and ahhed for so long that I ran out of time to shop for ingredients and inspiration had to be found somewhere in the bottom of my petite pantry (see what I did there? Haha! Oh dear). So I found a beautiful big jar of preserved cherries and the decision for a chocolate cherry cake was made.
Miss 2 and I were then swept up into a cooking whirlwind and before I knew it the cake was done. My daughter and I may have been covered in cherry juice and cacao, it may have been two hours past her bed time, but we had bowls to lick and leftover icing to taste so we were happy!
Now to finally get to the crux of the matter, I’m pleased to report that those with cake apathy ate my cake without disdain! In fact, after one bite my brother looked up and said casually “Laurey, you really are the dessert queen”, I then watched as my dad served himself a second piece, and just like that my heart was happy.
I hope that you too enjoy this simple Chocolate Cherry Cake as we have. I hope that you can share it with loved ones around a noisy table full of laughing and clinking plates, or sitting quietly in a sunny corner of your home. This cake is perfectly chocolatey with lovely surprises of beautiful burgundy cherries scattered throughout, utterly delightful!
Recipe
1 cup blanched almond meal
3 tbsp coconut flour
1/3 cup cacao powder
½ cup coconut sugar
1 tsp GF or homemade baking powder
½ tsp bicarb soda
4 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla essence
3 tbsp coconut milk
2 tbsp coconut oil, melted
200g pitted preserved cherries (I used the Morello variety)
Method
Line and grease a 23cm round spring-form cake tin and preheat the oven to 160C.
In a large mixing bowl combine the almond meal, coconut flour, cacao powder, coconut sugar, baking powder and bicarb soda.
In a small bowl place your eggs and vanilla essence, whisk until well combined.
Make a well in your dry ingredients. Pour your egg mix into the well and stir until just combined.
Now combine your coconut milk and melted coconut oil and stir through your cake batter until combined.
Now gently fold through your cherries being careful not to mash them while doing so.
Spoon your cake batter into the prepared tin and gently smooth over the top.
Cover the top of your cake with foil and bake for 50-60 minutes or until your cake springs back when lightly pressed.
Top with my vegan chocolate ganache, extra cherries and some finely grated raw chocolate.
Enjoy!
